Old Troubles, New Hopes
by kaylakat2009
Summary: *Used to be Untitled* Sam is sent to a private school when her mom dies and comes back years later. She brings trouble with her and nothing about it is good. SAKE! Rated T for language and graphics
1. Prologue

_All standard disclaimers apply. Enjoy and review!! PS-message or review me with what you think the title of this should be!! ___

**PROLOGUE**

"Brat. Why are you following me?" Sam wasn't paying attention and ran into Jake's back when he stopped suddenly.

"Jake! Why did you stop?" Jake took a step forward before turning around.

"Because Brat. Now, why are you following me?" Sam sighed and tossed her ponytail to her back. Jake snapped his fingers in her face when he noticed that she had spaced out.

Snapping back to reality, Sam placed her fists on her hips and glared at Jake.

"What was that for _Jacob?_" Jake scowled at Sam for the use of his given name.

"I don't know _Brat._ Maybe because you spaced out when I asked you a question?" Sam sighed and quietly apologized.

"Are you coming to my birthday party?" Jake sighed, not really wanting to go to her birthday party; knowing that it would be mostly six and seven year olds and his family. Seeing the disappointment on her face when she noticed his hesitation, he slightly smiled and nodded his head.

"Sure Brat. I'll go, but only if you go to mine." Sam grinned brightly and nodded her head enthusiastically. Seeing her nod, Jake turned back around and continued to the barn, aware that Sam was still following him. Snagging the reins of the horse he received for his eight birthday, he swung up and galloped across the bridge towards home.

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Sam's birthday dawned bright and cloudless. Louise, Sam's mother, knocked on her door before opening it to see a grinning Sam. Louise chuckled, knowing the reason for the joy shining on her face.

"I see that you're already up little one. Should I assume that there's a reason for it?" Sam grinned at her mother's teasing.

"Mama! Don't you know what today is?!" Louise pretended to think about what the date was.

"Umm, is it Nevada Day? No? How about-oof!" Louise glanced down at her seven year old daughter who was clinging to her legs.

"Mama! You _know_ what today is! It's my birthday!" Louise grinned lovingly at Sam. Gently brushing back Sam's hair, she thought back to when Sam was first born. Even then, she could tell her daughter would be lively and beautiful. Coming back to the present, Louise saw Sam still looking up to her, waiting on a hug and a kiss. Louise knelt down to Sam's height and drew her into a crushing hug.

"Happy birthday baby. I hope everything you wish for comes true." Sam beamed radiantly into her mother's face and gave her a sloppy kiss on her face.

"Thanks mama. Want to go riding with me? Jake said he'd be here for the party, but that won't be for _hours!_" Standing up, Louise took Sam's hand and walked to the door. Sam quickly figured out her mom's answer and started pulling her to the door faster. Louise obligingly went, laughing the entire time.

When Strawberry and Bunny were saddled, Louise led Sam past the bridge and turned towards War Drum Flats. A light touch sent the horses racing across the _playa_, laughter trailing behind the riders. Breathless and glowing with happiness, they pulled their horses up and laughed together while the horses happily tossed their heads and nickered at each other.

"Thank you mama! That was the best _ever!_ I love you! Race you back?!" Louise quickly reached over and snagged the bridle before Sam could get away.

"Hold on little missy! We have to walk the horses for a bit before going back. You know that you can't run them right away after that. Besides, don't you want to spend some time out here before the party?" Sam smiled sheepishly at her mom and nodded her head 'yes' before looking back down again.

Louise grinned at her daughter and turned their horses around to face the direction of their home. They walked the horses for a bit and talked about their day, well what little of it they had. Louise happened to glance down at her watch and saw that they had spent too much time on the _playa_. Looking at Sam, she smiled mischievously and kicked her horse into a gallop. Sam caught on and quickly followed with Bunny's short legs kicking up dust behind them.

Racing over the bridge, Sam saw Jake talking to her dad near the barn. She quickly pulled up her pony and dismounted at the hitching post. Jake and her dad turned around when they heard her and her mother coming over the bridge. Jake started walking towards Sam when he noticed she was trying to lift the saddle off of Bunny's back. And then it dropped on her foot. Jake started running towards her as she screamed in pain.

"Brat! What have you been told about trying to lift the saddles?!" He kneeled down beside her foot and took it into his hands, twisting back and forth. Sam whimpered and tried to pull back her foot, but he held fast. Wyatt came up behind Jake and gently took Sam's foot into his hand. He checked it for swelling or bruising and, finding none, he gently set it back down and picked Sam up.

"Sam, you've been told not to lift the saddle until you were a little older, right?" At Sam's sulky nod, Wyatt sighed and took her into the house, Jake and Louise following. Gram was busy taking the cake out of the oven when they walked in and almost dropped it when she saw the pained look on Sam's face.

"Sam! What happened?" Gram was told the story of the falling saddle and, tsking her tongue, she set a cold cloth over her foot to help with the pain. Louise checked on Sam and quickly went upstairs to get a heating pad. After warming up Sam's foot a bit, she gently took the foot into her hands and started rubbing it, trying to get the pain to go away.

"Do you feel better Sam?" At her nod, Louise gently smiled and asked the dreaded question.

"You're not going to do that again, are you?" Sam sighed and shook her head 'no.' Louise laughed and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Standing her up, she gave a playful smack on her rump and sent her upstairs to get ready for her party.

Sam came back down ten minutes later, cleaned up in a new pair of jeans and a different shirt. Brush and hair ties in hand, she sat down in front of her mother and asked her to put her hair into braids. Louise agreed and had her hair done a few minutes later.

Horses began coming over the bridge and Sam ran outside to greet her guests. Maxine gave her a tight hug and whispered a quiet 'Happy Birthday' in her ear. Sam squealed in laughter when she was suddenly picked up and tossed into the air.

"Sammy! Happy birthday little one!" Sam laughed and smiled at the tan face smiling down at her.

"Thank you Unka Luke!" After being passed around for more hugs and congratulations, Sam was antsy and wanted to open her presents and eat cake. Not exactly in that order either. Louise noticed her daughter's growing impatience and turned to Wyatt, signaling that it was time. He smiled and walked over to where Sam was talking with Jake and her friend, Anne.

"So Sam, ready to open your presents?" Sam squealed in delight and ran to her dad. She tugged on his hand and began begging.

"Please Daddy please!" He smiled and began leading her back to her mother. Sam smiled and ran into her mom's open arms, giggling at the raspberry her mom gave her.

"So Sam, you ready? You have to go into the barn first before you can open anything!" Sam looked confused, but jumped down to do what her mom told her to do. She wandered into the barn and dropped down on a hay bale, waiting to be called back out. Jake came in a few minutes later and told her to stand up. He got behind her and tied a piece of cloth over her eyes. She stamped her foot impatiently and hearing an 'ouch' come from behind her, she started smiling and giggled.

"Not funny Brat. That hurt. I should leave you in here for that." Sam didn't wait any longer and started dragging Jake towards the direction where she knew the barn door was. Jake laughed and let her pull him out the door, quickly steering her away from the wall she was about to run into.

Sam continued on outside with Jake steering her. She came up beside someone and felt a hand grab her and pull her closer. She instinctively knew her mother's grip and leaned closer. Her mom took her hand and placed it on something warm and furry. Sam moved closer to the object and heard a whine then something licking her hand. She quickly pulled off the blindfold and saw a squirming puppy in her dad's arms.

"Do you like him sweetie? We thought you were old enough to take care of a dog. Besides, we need another one running around. What do you want to name him?" Sam looked back down at the golden pup that was wiggling around and licking at Sam and her dad's fingers. She saw an odd-shaped white spot on his chest and decided his name right there.

"I want to name him Spot." There was silence for a moment before it was broken with a snort from Jake. All eyes flew to him and he started laughing, which got everyone else started. Sam looked around confused and a little hurt because every one was laughing at the name she picked out.

"What's wrong with the name? I think it sounds cute. See! He has a little spot of white on his chest." Louise looked and saw the spot. She grinned and nodded at Sam.

"Spot it is. Now do you want to open the rest of your presents?" Sam nodded eagerly and opened up the rest of her presents. Gram got her a beautiful horse statue that could go on her bookshelf along with a book full of horse pictures. Jake and his family got her different puzzles that had horse pictures. Sam received a pretty shirt and jacket from Anne and her family. The rest of her friends pitched their money together and got her a gift card to anywhere in the mall. She thanked everyone enthusiastically and ran inside to put the stuff on her bed. When she got back outside, a big, beautiful cake was sitting on the picnic table surrounded by paper cups, napkins, plates, and some utensils and drinks. Sam ran to the table, picked up a knife and fork and demanded, "Gimme." Everyone laughed at her and moved in to sing 'Happy Birthday.' Once the well-wishes were done with, again, Gram cut a big piece of cake and set it on Sam's plate. She did the same for everyone else and finally ate a piece herself.

The party went on for a couple more hours before people started drifting off to go back home. Sam stood on the bridge and waved to them and they went home. Sam was shocked when Jake suddenly leaned down and gave her a hug.

"Happy birthday Sam." Sam smiled and hugged him back, taking advantage of the unexpected. When everyone was across the bridge and out of sight, Sam ran back inside and sat with her parents and grandma in the living room and played with her puppy.

"So Sam, did you have a good birthday?" Sam nodded her head 'yes' and jumped up to give everyone a big hug and kiss.

"Thank you mama, daddy, Gram! I loved it! I'm gonna go to bed now though. I'm sleepy."

"Good night little one. I'm glad you had a good birthday. I love you. Sleep well." Sam replied back to her mom and gave her a kiss before she went upstairs, Spot trailing her. She smiled as she shut her door and quickly got ready for bed. She climbed under the covers and shut out the light while Spot curled up at her feet. Sleep claimed her quickly and she didn't wake until the next morning when a loud cry and the crashing of plates woke her up.


	2. Chapter 1

_All standard disclaimers apply. This is a sad one people, but it's short and must be done. Remember to read and review! ____ *Taking artistic liberties with this*_

**CHAPTER ONE**

Sam raced out of her room to see what was happening. When she skid into the kitchen, she saw her dad sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking, and her gram at the sink with her head down, shoulders hunched, and hands pushed against her mouth. Sam looked around to see what was causing the commotion when she caught sight of Sheriff Ballard standing in the kitchen doorway with his hat in his hands and his face remorse.

"Daddy, what's going on? Where's Mama?" Wyatt broke down crying and pulled Sam into a tight hug and Gram let out a quite sob. Sam was still confused and pulled back, taking her father's face in her hands and staring him in the eyes.

"Daddy, where is Mama?" Wyatt took a couple of deep breaths and sat down at the table, pulling Sam down into his lap.

"Sam, baby, you mama isn't here. She won't be here ever again. She was in a bad car accident with a herd of deer. The deer are okay, but your mama died. You see, Mama's in heaven now smiling down and watching over you. She isn't hurting now." Sam started crying when she realized that her mama wasn't coming back home. Wyatt placed Sam's head on his shoulder and held her tightly as she sobbed. Gram came up behind them and placed her arms around them, grieving for her departed daughter-in-law.

Sheriff Ballard cleared his throat awkwardly and placed his hat back on his head. Wyatt glanced up and nodded his head. He put Sam in Gram's arms and walked Sheriff Ballard out to his car. He stood outside talking to Heck for a few minutes and shook his hand. When Heck pulled out over the bridge, Wyatt put his head down and took a big breath before coming back inside.

The next week was spent in silence. Wyatt handled the funeral arrangements while Gram dealt with the neighbours going and coming, offering their condolences. The night before the funeral found Sam sitting at the table with her dad and Gram. Wyatt took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Sam, honey, I know what I'm going to tell you will make you sad and I'm sorry for that. I know you know the funeral is tomorrow and, well, the day after that you are going to California to go to a private school. You'll be there all year except for holidays. We love you and want the best for you and this is what we think will help you the most." Sam started shaking her head in denial, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

"No Daddy! I won't go and you can't make me!" Sam ran off to her room and slammed the door. Wyatt looked down and sighed, turning to his mother.

"Mom, did I do the right thing? I know she just lost her mother, but this is what I think is best for her." Grace shook her head and looked him in the eyes.

"She's your daughter Wyatt. You know what's best for her." Grace turned back to finish the dishes from supper. Wyatt looked up as something hit Sam's door. He sighed and went into the living room, turning on the news.

Sam woke up the next day with red eyes and a stuffy nose. A quiet knock sounded on her door and her dad's voice sounded through.

"Sam? Time to get up honey. The funeral is in a few hours and we have to get ready." Sam groaned and rolled over in bed, wishing that today was a different day. Her dad quietly left her room and went downstairs. Gram was standing at the stove cooking a quick breakfast when Sam came downstairs. She held a comb in one hand and a hair band in the other. Her velvety black dress hung straight without a wrinkle and she already had her shoes on and buckled. She sat down in a chair and waited on breakfast.

"How are you doing honey?" Sam looked up to see her gram looking at her with kind eyes. She gave a small shrug and went back to looking down at the table, waiting for food. Gram sighed and turned back around to finish dishing up the plates.

"You know that your daddy loves you, right?" Sam sighed and gave a small nod, still not looking up. Gram sighed again as she set a plate of food in front of Sam with a glass of orange juice.

"Eat up honey. We have to go soon." Sam nodded and quickly ate, not speaking to anyone. Wyatt came down the stairs a few minutes later and sat down at his chair, quickly eating. Gram looked back and forth between them and gave up. She knew the Forster stubbornness ran deep and neither was budging.

When the dishes were scraped, rinsed, and placed in the dishwasher, Gram sat Sam down in a chair and took the brush from the counter and quickly fixed Sam's hair. She was just finishing it when Wyatt came down the stairs, straightening his tie. He nodded at Gram and grabbed his hat and keys. Sam stood up from the chair and quietly followed him out. Gram was the last one out and locked the door behind them.

The funeral was sad and filled with people. Neighbours offered their condolences as they walked past and wished them well. Sam stood by her father, tears streaming down her face as she finally realized that this was final, her mother wasn't coming back. Wyatt heard the quite snuffles of his daughter and glanced down to see her with her nose to the floor and tears streaming down her face. He sighed and looked around, trying to find Grace, and spotted her with a group of friends. He gave her a look and nodded his head down to Sam. She glanced down and quickly looked back up, nodding her head in answer to his silent question.

Grace excused herself and went to gather Sam in her arms. She glanced at Wyatt and then left the reception, stopping and saying her good-byes on the way to the door. Wyatt followed soon after and pulled the car around for Grace and Sam. Grace gently deposited Sam in the back seat and buckled her in. She then closed the door and turned around to see Wyatt holding open her door for her.

"Thank you hun. Do you think Sam will be well enough, or as well as she can be, to leave tomorrow?" Wyatt looked down and rubbed the back of his head in indecision.

"I think so mom. Hell, I hope so. I planned on packing her suitcase tonight and thought we would stop somewhere in California to get her new bedding and such. I know she'll want to take something of her mother's, so I'll have her pack what she wants when she wakes up. I don't plan on leaving until noon and we will probably stay overnight in a hotel before we take her to the boarding school." Grace nodded her head and slid into the car, shutting her door as she did so. Wyatt came around and got in, started the car, and pulled out of the churchyard and into the street.

It was about forty-five minutes later before they finally turned into River Bend. Grace looked back to find that Sam and quietly cried herself to sleep and was curled up in a ball in the backseat.

Wyatt came around and unbuckled Sam, gently lifting her out of the car in the process. He carried her up the stairs and laid her in her bed. He quietly pulled down a suitcase and packed a week's worth of clothes and a few essential things. He took the suitcase downstairs and went to tell Grace good night. After finding her and assuring her that Sam was okay, Wyatt went up the stairs and went to bed, ready for the long day tomorrow.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 2

_All standard disclaimers apply. Sorry it's so short. Remember to read and review! ___

**CHAPTER TWO**

As appropriate, the next day was cloudy and called for rain. Sam woke up to her dad knocking on her door, reminding her of how he woke her up yesterday. She suddenly remembered the reason why she went to bed crying last night. Today was the day she was to leave her home for many years. '_Except for holidays and summer breaks' _she thought to herself with disgust. The insistent knocking on her door brought her out of her musings. Sighing, she got out of bed and opened the door for her dad. He stood in the doorway and silently looked around her room and then at her.

"Honey, you need to pack what you want to take with you. I've already packed some clothes, your toothbrush, and such. Pack what books, stuffed animals, and such you want. Don't worry about the bedding unless you really want to take it. I thought we would stop somewhere when we got closer to the school to get the rest of your stuff. Okay?" Sam nodded, looking down at her horse-covered feet. She started counting how many were on each sock, hoping her dad would go away. Her dad sighed and quietly left the room. Sam stifled a sob and turned back to her bed, trying not to cry.

An hour later, Sam shuffled out of her room, carrying a small duffle bag. She set it on the couch and told her dad that there were a couple of boxes in her room. Wyatt saw the red and puffy eyes as she glanced at him quickly. He sighed and ran his hands thru his hair.

"Sam, look at me hun. I'm sorry that you're sad, but I think this is for the best. You know I love you and would do nothing to hurt you." Sam sighed and nodded her head. Wyatt took this as a good sign and hesitantly put his arms around her in gentle hug. Sam sighed again and buried her face into her dad's neck, trying not to cry.

Stepping thru the door, Gram saw the loving picture of a father comforting his daughter. She sighed and knew that the next few months would be hard on all of them. She quietly cleared her throat, reminding Wyatt of the time. She head him sigh one last time as he gently withdrew from the hug.

"It's time to go honey. Go put your bag in the car. I'll get your boxes and we'll get going." Sam nodded and took her bag out to the car, shuffling her feet as she went along.

"This is going to be hard. I don't know if I can stand it anymore." Gram shook her head at her son and walked into the kitchen, knowing that Wyatt would make the right decision.

"Hello, welcome to Waffle House, may I take your order?" Sam looked down at the menu silently and contemplated her choices. Wyatt didn't have that problem and ordered as soon as the waitress stopped talking.

"Yes, I would like two eggs scrambled with cheese, biscuits with gravy, and bacon please." The waitress quickly wrote down the order and got Gram's order. She turned to Sam expectantly, waiting on her order. Sam sighed and quietly closed her menu.

"I'd like two chocolate chip pancakes with sausage and orange juice please." The waitress quietly took her order, seeing the silent defeat in the young girl's eyes. She at first thought the girl was kidnapped until she saw the family resemblance and worried looks coming from the older adults. She quickly walked away, claiming it wasn't her business, and placed their orders.

Sam quietly took a sip of the orange juice set in front of her and stared out the window blankly. They were now in Carson City, just outside of Reno. After breakfast, which she grudgingly admitted was delicious, they piled back into the car and headed off in the direction of her new school. Until now, she hadn't thought to ask about where her new school was located. When she got around to asking her dad, they were in the car, driving northwest.

"Dad, just where exactly is my new school and what is it called?" Dad sighed and knew that what he was going to say would make her sad, but he figured she couldn't be sadder than she already was.

"The school is in Chico, CA, just outside of Redding. The school is actually called Pleasant View Private Academy. We are about five hours away if something happens. Okay?" Sam nodded and mulled over the information she had just received. She knew that her dad thought this is what was best for her, but _she _didn't think that this was what was best for her. Sam was again disturbed from her thoughts when the car stopped at a local Wal-Mart. She looked around confused and saw her dad and gram smiling back at her.

"We are going to pick up some stuff, such as more toothpaste, more clothes, and anything else you might want or need. Okay?" Sam nodded her head slightly and got out of the car, following her dad and Gram into the store. The perky door greeter caused Sam to squeeze her eyes shut and had thoughts of death running through her head. Gram noticed her flinch from the greeter and smiled a secret smile. Sam saw the grin and grinned back at her. Her dad, however, was oblivious to everything and kept moving forward, trying to get past the insistent greeter. I mean, they just _had_ to have the sales paper. They finally maneuvered around her and got the things they came in for. Sam found herself with new bedding, more toothpaste, books, CDs, and some other basic comforts…like clothes and shoes.

Everything was loaded into the car in less than five minutes after leaving the store. When the trunk was closed and the cart pushed into the rack, Wyatt angled into the car and started the car again. It took another forty-five minutes before they pulled into Sam's new school. She just sat there in shock at what she was seeing and quietly climbed out. _Well, this is it. My new home for Goddess knows how long. Might as well get used to it._ Wyatt saw thoughts running across Sam's face and sighed, once again hoping he made the right decision.


	4. Chapter 3

_Okay, here is chapter three. Again, sorry it's short, but it wouldn't sound right if I continued with where I want to go. I promise I will update soon, otherwise many will kill me…especially since a few of my friends who are reading this knows where I live…So, as always, read and review! ___

**CHAPTER THREE**

Sam looked around her new room. It was painted a light blue and had a window above each bed. Apparently, she would be bunking with someone. She just hoped that they enjoyed the same things. A quiet cough turned her attention to a girl dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Sam raised her eyebrow in wonderment and tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out who the girl was. The girl noticed and smiled, amused.

"Hi, you must be Sam. My name is Tammy. How are you?" Sam grinned and figured out that this _was_ her new roommate.

"Hi Tammy. You're right, my name is Sam. I'm good. You?" Tammy grinned at Sam and turned in a circle, taking in the boxes that littered the floor around Sam's bed.

"I'm fine. So, you here by yourself or are your parents here too?" Sam looked at her questioningly and then remembered that her dad and Gram was downstairs, trying to find a vending machine to get something to eat. She told this to Tammy and turned back to continue unpacking her bags. She was startled when a book she was placing on the bookshelf was snatched out of her hands. She turned around and saw Tammy flipping through the pages.

"Umm…what was that all about?" Tammy grinned and put the book where it was originally going to go.

"Nothing really, just wanted to see what you read. So do you…" A throat clearing turned both girls around quickly. Wyatt and Gram stood in the doorway, looking at the two young girls. Seeing that they weren't about to kill each other, Gram took it as a good sign and stepped further into the room, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Sam, honey, is this your roommate?" Sam grinned and nodded her head 'yes.' Wyatt visibly relaxed, seeing how Sam was smiling. Wyatt and Gram introduced themselves to Tammy and looked around the room. Seeing that she was almost unpacked, Wyatt started taking boxes and totes back out to the car. Tammy helped Sam make her new bed and Gram continued placing things on Sam's desk and bookshelf.

It took a couple of hours but the room was finally organized and Sam fell backwards onto her newly made bed. A loud growling sound came from the girl lying on her bed and everyone started giggling as she blushed.

"Wow. That was a lot of work. So, anyone hungry?" Everyone laughed and Wyatt led them down to the school restaurant. Every one enjoyed the meal and it was soon dark outside. Gram and Wyatt said good-bye to Sam and decided to start home a day early, seeing that Sam had settled in. Sam cried a bit, but realized that this was a good opportunity for her to get to learn new things and make new friends. Tammy helped a lot by making Sam laugh and suggesting a movie night. Before the two knew it, they were getting to be fast friends and Sam wasn't particularly mad at her dad and Gram anymore. She knew that they thought this is what was best for her and knew that she would still see them soon. After all, fall break was coming up and there was no way that she would miss going home.


	5. Chapter 4

_Okay, so here is the next chapter. You know what to do. Just read and review! ___

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The next few years flew by. Sam went home over holidays and breaks, visiting her family and riding horses with Jake. Before Sam had left for boarding school, they had been close, but slowly grew apart over the years. It had been Sam's thirteenth birthday when they last saw each other. And it was the last time she went home.

Over the previous Christmas break, Sam had gone home and was shocked to see a stranger standing with her dad and Gram at the airport. She was re-introduced to Brynna and remembered that she worked at the BLM. You see, Wyatt and Jake took Sam to the BLM to show her the wild horses that were rounded up and placed in pens for adoptions and auctions. They had met Brynna while she was working there and showed them around. At first, she thought that Sam and Jake were siblings and when she was told 'no', she automatically assumed that Jake was Sam's boyfriend. Both blushed as they quickly shook their heads 'no' and ran for opposite ends of the grounds to look at horses. Brynna figured out that she embarrassed the two and smiled at Wyatt, showing him the different geldings that they had rounded up.

Sam thought nothing would come from their relationship during that Christmas break and wasn't worried about it. _Well,_ she thought,_ it seems like I should have been worried._ That summer, Sam came home to an engagement announcement. For Wyatt Forster and Brynna Lake. After hearing this news, Sam ran to her room and locked everyone out. She thought that her dad was betraying her mother, even though it had been six years since that day.

The summer passed slowly and Sam was miserable. She went out riding with Jake at every opportunity, escaping from the house and her father. The new school year soon started and Sam began eighth grade, glad not to be at home. She made a silent vow to not come home at all unless it was for good. _And that may be years._

It was during the end of the school year when Sam was approached by her best friend Tammy. Along with Tammy was her new boyfriend of the month, Christian. Confused, Sam stopped in the hallway and watched them walking towards her. Secretly, she didn't like Christian and only put up with him because of Tammy. And he knew it. Sam had heard stories around school about him and didn't really think he was good for Tammy, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt because of her.

She had noticed that Tammy was starting to dress and act differently around Sam. She would disappear at odd hours of the day and not come back to their room until late at night. Sam tried to ignore these changes, but it was hard to. She had also noticed that Tammy always carried a red bandana with black roses decorated on it, either tied to her purse or her belt. So when they stopped in front of her and held out a bandana similar to the one Christian had tied around his knee and Tammy with the one tied on her belt loop, she had a prickly feeling and tried not to show her discomfort. Obviously not noticing, Tammy held it out and waited for Sam to take it, sliding a card in her purse along with it.

"Come to that address at eight o'clock. Bring the bandana and don't be late. See ya later." They walked off, leaving Sam standing confused and filled with dread in the hall, her books falling to the floor. She knew what was coming and wasn't sure if she wanted to be apart of it. Shaking herself out of her world, she picked up her books and started down the hall, sliding the bandana into her purse as she walked.


	6. Chapter 5

_Okay everyone! Sorry for taking so long. I was sick and did not feel like doing anything, but here it finally is! Have fun and review! ___

**CHAPTER FIVE**

At eight o'clock, Sam was standing in a parking lot, staring at a broken down warehouse with black roses painted on the door. She was startled when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She spun around and saw Tammy standing in front of her. She started to say something when a throat cleared in the shadows behind Tammy. Peering into the darkness, Sam could make out figures dressed in red shirts with black pants, bandanas tied around them. From what she could see, most of the figures were females, but there were a few guys also.

"I take it your name is Sam?" Gaze swinging back to the center of the pack, Sam saw a tall and toned girl talking to her. She nodded her head slightly without looking away.

"Well, our girl Tammy says you will be an asset to us. Do ya know who we are?" Sam looked back around her and recognition slowly sunk in. She nodded her head 'yes'. She was right. Standing in front of her was Tina and Josh, leaders of the illusive gang, the Black Roses.

"Good. Now we have invited you because Tammy thinks you will help us and keep quiet, right?" Sam thought about how she should answer. She knew that if she said 'yes', her life would change forever. She thought about her family and was brought up short. Her mind flashed back to a letter she received at Christmas. Instead of going home like she normally would, she stayed with Tammy at the school and thought about her new 'family life' and regretted the fact that she wouldn't go home again for a while. Opening the envelope from her Gram, she found not only a card. In it was a $250 gift card to the local mall and a newspaper clipping.

_We want to congratulate newlyweds Wyatt and Brynna Forster_

_on their wedding last Monday, December 12. _

_We are also pleased to announce that in five months,_

_they will be expecting their first daughter together._

_Again, congratulations! _

_~Darton Times Staff _

Remembering the hurt and betrayal, Sam turned back to Tina and her eyes hardened.

"What do you want me to do?" Tina smiled and held out her hand. Without hesitating, Sam placed her hand in Tina's and allowed herself to be pulled forward. Turning around, Tina looked back at the rest of the gang and crooked her finger at them.

Coming forward, they each introduced themselves and Sam was surprised to see a few of her classmates. Christian stepped out of the shadows with a guy who was dressed down. He was dressed in the same colors as everyone else, but looked different in a way. Black pants were sagging and a red shirt with a giant black rose, thorns dripping black blood, came down to his knees. Twisted to the back on his head was a black hat. Black hair spiked under his hat and green eyes sparked with mischief.

"Hey there Sammy. My name's Darrel. This is my man Christian, tho I'm sure ya already know 'im." Sammy was taken back by how he talked and looked to Tammy for help. She just smiled and reached over, grabbing Christian's hand.

"Don't worry 'bout him Sam. He's just an overgrown pup who likes to think he's a ladies' man. Come on, we have class in the morning and I know how grumpy you are if you don't get at least six hours sleep." Sam laughed and let Tammy drag her and Christian off, listening to the laughter following them and Darrel's attempts to over-turn Tammy's statement. He even went as far as counting off women he had been with.

When they got back to the dorms, Sam collapsed on her bed and quickly fell asleep while Tammy and Christian sat on Tammy's bed, talking about the next morning.

Sam woke the next morning and stared over at the red bandana resting on her nightstand. The night came back to her in a flash. She remembered meeting Tina, being accepted into the Black Roses, and especially meeting Darrel. Her thoughts paused on him, remembering the way he carried himself and the confidence he exuded when he talked. She knew he looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where.

She rolled over and grinned at Tammy's sleeping figure. An evil thought flashed across her mind and a pillow suddenly flew from her grasp, hitting Tammy in the head.

She quickly jumped up and ran into the bathroom, locking the door. A crash made her look at the door and smile devilishly.

"So Tammy, are you up? You know we have class in an hour, right?" A groan and muffled curses met Sam's ears as she hopped into the shower.

She came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later and watched Tammy run into the bathroom. Sam dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a brown top and was in the middle of lacing her boots up when Tammy came back into the room. Tammy saw what Sam was wearing and shook her head.

"Strip." When Sam looked at her blankly, Tammy sighed and spoke slowly, trying to make her understand the situation.

"You are now a Black Rose. Even if you didn't know, the colors you are sporting is a rival gang. Trust me, it would be _very_ bad to be seen in those colors. Not only would the gang let you know that what you are doing is wrong, but if the other gang sees it and knows that you are a Black Rose, they would hurt you. Bad. So…change. Now." Sam nodded her head distractedly, looking into her closet for something to wear that was 'Black Rose color.' Pulling out a pair of black jeans with red designs and a blood red tank with black lettering, she hurriedly dressed and rushed into the bathroom to finish getting ready for class.

Staring into the mirror, she tried to decide how to do her make-up and finally decided on kohl black eyeliner with onyx black mascara and a touch of silver eye shadow. She wanted to draw attention to only her eyes, so she applied a light, clear lipgloss and called it complete. Her hair had already dried into a slight wave around her face and was easy to pull back with a scrunchie and leave it to finish air-drying. A silver rose necklace with matching earrings and a charm bracelet completed her look along with shiny black boots.

Coming out of the bathroom, Sam ran into Tammy who was running around trying to find her shoes while brushing her hair, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Sam tried not to laugh, but failed miserably. Tammy turned around quickly and glared at Sam, trying to glare while white foam gathered around her mouth from the toothpaste.

"Wow Tammy. Do I have to call the animal shelter? I think we need to have you put down; you're starting to foam around the mouth." Tammy glared again and stomped over to the sink, spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing out her mouth.

"You know Sammy girl, one of these days you'll be late getting ready and I'll be early. Then, when you are running around multi-tasking, I'll be the one sitting around laughing at you and reminding you of this moment." Sam stifled another laugh and smiled at her friend in amusement.

"Really? You think you can _really_ get up on time for school? I'll have you know that after all the years I have been here, you have not _yet_ woke up in time for school. It is always you running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to pull an outfit together." Tammy glared in the mirror at Sam and tried to apply her eyeliner at the same time. She didn't have too much luck in that department. Cursing, she rubbed off the black line across her cheek and re-applied the eyeliner, this time getting it right.

Sam glanced at her watch and noticed they had ten minutes to rush to their first period. Thankfully, they both had the same class and it was about five minutes away from their dorm room. She went back into their bedroom and gathered her books, waiting for Tammy to finish her make-up. A couple of minutes later Tammy came rushing out of the bathroom and started hunting around for all of her books. She finally gathered them all and grabbed Sam's hand, pulling her out the door. Sam barely had time to lock the door and yank it shut before being man-handled down the hall to the elevator that opened right in front of their class.

The bell rang right as Sam and Tammy rushed into the room. Thankfully, the teacher hadn't arrived yet so they could get in their seats and get settled without having to worry about hearing _another_ lecture from Mr. Grooms on the importance of being punctual. Grins were shared around the classroom knowing that this was a usual occurrence for the girls. Sam and Tammy started giggling and stopped suddenly when the door opened and Mr. Grooms came marching into the room. Following him was a guy that Sam didn't want to see in a _long_ time.

"Sammy girl! How ya doin'?!" Sinking into her seat, Sam tried to hide from the questioning glances being thrown her way. She looked to Tammy for help and found a smug grin on her face. Sam knew she wouldn't get any help from her and just sighed. She slowly raised her eyes to Darrel and gave him a finger wave. _Now_ she knew where she recognized him from last night. He was the new transfer student that was coming here. His picture was passed around along with a file on him with basic details so that her club, basically called the 'Welcoming Committee' would know him and show him around school. Just her luck. It was her turn to show around new students. Sighing, she glanced at Mr. Grooms and nodded her head to the empty seat beside her.

"He can sit here. It's my turn to show around new students." The teacher just nodded and gave Darrel a slight push towards Sam.

"Well Darrel, as it seems like you know Sam, I'll let her introduce you to the other students. _Just not right now._" Sam nodded her head and motioned for Darrel to sit. She quickly drew up the seating arrangement and labeled each seat. She slid it to him and turned to the teacher, ready to take the daily notes.

The paper was slid back onto her desk and she looked at in confusion. Seeing his handwriting, she read the note he left.

Thanks Sammy girl. Now how about we get dinner after classes are over. My treat.

Sam sighed and slid the paper back after writing her answer.

No.

The paper was slid back to her and she glanced at it in confusion.

Please?_God, give me strength. _ Sam wrote back her reply and knew how well it would go over. She slid her chair closer to Tammy and watched his face as he read the note.

Can't. Me and Tammy have _something_ to do after school. Better luck next time.

Smiling, Darrel slid the paper back with his response.

Best bet. You know you'll give in sometime. I'm patient.

_Great. Just what I need. NOT! _Tammy looked over at Sam in confusion and her eyes found the paper. She picked it up and read the conversation and tried hard not to laugh. Knowing that Sam would not appreciate it, Tammy managed to stifle her amusement and looked over at Sam. As expected fire was shooting from her eyes and all of the flame was directed at Darrel. She felt sorry for him, but thought that he was a big boy. He could handle what was coming. Startling the class, Sam slid closer to Darrel and smacked him in the back of the head. Using his hair as a pulley, she turned his face until she could meet his eyes, she spoke to him slowly, hoping his pea-sized brain would understand what she was saying.

"I said no. Meaning probably never. Got it?" She held his hair until he gave a slight nod with a smirk on his face. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear something only she could hear.

"I hope you know that I _love_ girls pulling my hair. Especially ones that I plan on having a _private_ conversation with." Sam shrieked and jerked her hand away, pulling out some hair in the process. Huffing she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. She turned away from him and eyed Tammy who was looking on in amusement.

"Oh shut-up."


	7. Chapter 6

_Okay, due to the persistence of my two fanatical best friends, here is chapter six. You can thank them for having this chapter so soon. Remember, R&R! ___

**CHAPTER SIX**

When the bell rang for the class to end, Sam quickly packed up her books and walked out the door, ignoring the shouts from Tammy and Darrel to wait for them. Hoping to lose them, she walked into a big group of people and was swallowed up in their mix. Looking around, she noticed a lot of blue and black. When they noticed her, they suddenly stopped and circled her. Glancing around again, she noticed the build and the bandanas tied around their arms.

_Well damn. I think I am in trouble. Why does that _not_ surprise me? _Sam went on the offensive and dropped her books, leaving her hands free. The red and black bandana she had tied around her knee, right above a blood red rose.

"Well well, seems like we've met the new Rose inductee. Tell me hun, can you walk as they talk?" Sam was looking at the speaker of the group, taking in his baggy black jeans and tight blue wife beater. The blue hat he had on was twisted backwards and you could see the gang name on the band, 'Blue Bloods.'

By now, everyone in the hall noticed something was going on and gathered around the group. Here and there were more Bloods mixed in with the crowd, quickly joining rank. Sam swept her books out of the way with the side of her foot and relaxed her muscles, knowing that she had to prepare for whatever they decided to dole out. By the time she looked back around, she noticed more blue bandanas in the circle around her. Taking a quick glance around, her eyes met green ones.

A sharp whistle broke the look and a few Bloods turned around to see what was going on. Sam also looked and was shocked, and glad, to see bodies clothed in red coming towards the group. She flicked her gaze back to the green eyes and grinned. Darrel managed to come to her rescue. She knew that he had been the one to send a quick text message to the rest of the gang, telling them of what was going on. He suddenly started moving forwards and pushed thru the startled Bloods. Throwing an arm over her shoulder, he pulled her back into the safety of his arms and turned them until they were facing the leader.

"Long time no see Blake. Still picking on the little ones, eh?" The guy's face got red and he started walking towards them.

"What, new piece of snatch? Why you bothering with the little ones when you could've had anyone you wanted that was actually worth your time?" Sam quickly caught onto the conversation and ripped herself from Darrel's arms. Calmly stepping up to the smirking Blood, she drew back her fist and sent it flying in his face. When he put both hands to his nose, she lashed out with her foot and sent him crashing to the ground in a fetal position with one good kick to the gonads. Shock visibly rippled around her as the Bloods tried rushing her. Roses jumped into the fray and started holding people back, wanting to see what their newbie would do next. Sam leaned down and quietly whispered in Blake's ear.

"I'm not a piece of snatch. Say anything like that about me again, even implying it, and I will kick your ass. Campiche?" Without waiting for an answer, Sam stood back up and calmly walked out of the circle, picking up her books as she went. Stunned silence followed her and then footsteps were beside her. Looking around, she saw Roses following in her footsteps and Darrel walking beside her. His arm went back around her shoulder and she looked up surprised.

"You did good Sammy. Proud of ya." Sam smiled appreciatively and continued onto her next class, wondering what was waiting for her next.

It seemed that when she sat down in her last class of the day before lunch, everyone was watching her in surprise and wonder. Darrel walked into the classroom behind her and she was starting to wonder if she _didn't _have a class with him. It seemed that everywhere she went, there he was, like a little puppy eagerly following her. Frankly, she didn't mind it that much. The way he stood up with her earlier gave him brownie points.

Sitting in her regular seat, Tammy and Darrel each took up position on either side of her. People looked back at her and continued whispering behind their hands to their friends, not thinking that Sam hadn't suddenly gone deaf or blind. Tammy apparently had had enough of it too because she cleared her throat from her slouched position. Everyone's eyes immediately swung to her and she gave them a slight smirk.

"Didn't your mamas ever teach you it isn't polite to whisper? And yea, Sam laid out the leader of the Blue Bloods. She's a member of the Black Roses now. Got a problem?" Heads quickly shook 'no' and swung back to the front, watching the teacher as she came in. Sam shot Tammy a quick look of gratitude and opened up her notebook to take the notes that were placed on the overhead projector. Class passed by quickly and Sam was glad when the lunch bell rang. Flipping her notebook closed and dropping her pen in her purse, she stood up and walked out, Tammy and Darrel keeping step with her.

Instead of going to the cafeteria, she went back up to her room and slammed her books on her desk. She threw herself onto her bed and groaned when a weight landed across her legs, an arm carelessly thrown next to her.

"Darrel, get your ace off of me." He chuckled but didn't move from his position.

"Why? I'm pretty comfortable right where I am." Sam groaned again and then sighed when she heard Tammy's laugh coming from the doorway.

"Well well well, Sammy. Whatcha up to? I mean, I leave you for a few minutes and here you two are, both sprawled out on top of each other. Got something to say for yourself?" Sam groaned and lifted her legs up, sending Darrel sprawling off her bed and hitting the floor with a loud _clunk._ Muttering curses, he sat up and rubbed his bruised head, trying to get it to stop hurting.

"You're one evil lady Sammy baby. Evil to the bone. The spawn of Satan. Just plain evil. Hello Lucy." Sam stared back at him in confusion at the last comment and he just looked at her incredulously.

"Oh. My. God. You don't know who Lucy is?!" At the shake of Sam's head, he sighed again and slapped his hands over his face.

"Geez. You don't watch tv much do you? Wait, don't answer that. I don't want to know. God. Lucy is the daughter of the devil in a cartoon. I can't believe I have to tell you this." Sam and Tammy laughed at his expression and quickly ran out of the room, Darrel chasing them down to the cafeteria.

Sliding into the café, Sam noticed that all conversation had stopped and everyone's eyes were centered on her. Again. Tammy and Darrel also noticed when they came to a quick stop to keep from crashing into her. Darrel straightened up and threw an arm around Sam, pulling her back and quickly walking to the table where Tina and Josh were sitting along with Christian. Pulling up a couple of chairs, Darrel shoved Sam down and went to a vending machine, coming back with a couple of Dr. Peppers.

"So Sam, what was the deal dis mornin'?" Sam looked at Tina and gave a small shrug, leaning in a bit so they wouldn't be overheard by everyone in the cafeteria.

"I don't really know. I just ducked into a group of people to 'escape' Darrel and Tammy. Guess it was just the wrong group of people to dunk in with. Next thing I know, I'm surrounded by Bloods and then called a piece of snatch. I didn't like it so I did something about it." Sam leaned back into her chair and smirked at Tina and Josh. They both looked stunned and suddenly busted out laughing, holding their sides and sliding down into their chairs. Eyes turned, again, to the group in the back and looked at them as if they weren't sane. Sam looked straight back at them and glared, making many quickly avert their eyes and turn back around in their seats. Darrel chuckled and then started laughing along with Tina and Josh, making Sam turn and include him in her glare. Huffing, she got up from the table and went to one of the many lines, waiting for her turn.

After getting a chef salad with French dressing, Sam turned to go back to the table, only to be stopped by Blake.

"So, think you were tough earlier huh? Well, let's see how tough you really are." Sam looked at him in confusion, then in complete understanding when he suddenly stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a knife. Ducking Sam, thrust her plate to a gaping freshmen and quickly turned back around to Blake, twisting her hair up into a ponytail. She saw Darrel, Christian, Tina, Josh, Tammy, and a few other Roses walking up behind her and forming a line at her back and sides. Darrel came up beside Sam and threw an arm across her midriff and pushed her behind him. Tina and Tammy quickly moved up beside her and Josh stood next to Darrel.

"So, couldn't stand the fact that a girl took you down, eh Blake?" Blake's face got red and he growled under his breath at them.

"Stay out of this Darrel. It's between her and me. This doesn't include you." Darrel laughed and gave him a disgusted, yet amused, grin.

"Well you see, that's where you're wrong. You forget that she is now a Rose and what happens with her, happens with all of us. Now, I suggest you put the knife up and be on your way." Blake growled at them again and took a step closer to Darrel only to be stopped by the dean's hand pushing him back.

"Well Mr. Walls, it seems as if you are in deep trouble. Again. You know that knives and guns are not allowed on this campus. I'm going to have to _ask_ you to hand me the knife and come with me." Blake growled again and handed the dean the knife, knowing that there was nothing else that he could do. Darrel and Josh backed up when the dean took Blake by the elbow and led him out of the cafeteria. Turning around, Darrel pulled Sam back under his arm and led her back to the table after grabbing her salad from the still-stunned freshmen.

"Well Sammy, it seems as if you've made a new friend. Congratulations." Sam glared at him and elbowed him in the stomach before sitting down.

"You know something Darrel? You can just sit your ace down and shut up. I'm not in the mood for listening to you." Chuckling, Darrel resumed his seat beside Sam and began stealing tomatoes from her salad. Stabbing him with a fork, Sam growled and moved her tray further away. This didn't stop him and he kept on stealing the tomatoes. Fed up with him, Sam turned around at him and glared.

"DARREL!!!"


	8. Chapter 7

_Okay, everyone can thank Jessi for this chapter. She literally made me start writing it when I finished my work and had spare time. *Don't forget to review! BTW: I have the next chapter done so...keep reviewing!*____  
_

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

When the bell rang, Sam got up from the table and threw her plate into the garbage. Deciding to skip the last two classes of the day, Sam went to her room and booted up her laptop to inform her teachers that she would be taking the rest of the day off because she didn't feel good.

After this task was completed, Sam logged onto her Yahoo! Account and saw that she had another email from her new stepmother. Instead of deleting it like she had done for the previous messages, she opened it and began to read.

To:

Fr: .org

Subject: HI

Hello Samantha,

I don't know why you haven't been answering my emails, but you have been a brat about it. You may as well get over me becoming your new mother. I'm here to stay. Email back or not, I really don't care.

-Brynna

Sam growled in frustration and hit the _reply_ button.

To: .org

Fr:

Subject: Re-HI

Guess what! I don't really care if we talk or not.

-Samantha

PS. You will never be my mother.

After the reply was sent, Sam deleted the message and signed out of her account. Turning around, Sam nearly screamed when she found Darrel lounging on her bed.

"Hiya Sammy! What ya doin'?" Darrel smirked at her and continued to stare. Jumping up, Sam stomped over to her bed and pushed his feet off of the covers.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?! Don't you have a class to go to?" Grinning, Darrel sat up and leaned back on his hands to stare up at her.

"I could say the same thing to you. So, whatcha doin'?" Sam sighed and plopped down onto her bed beside Darrel.

"Didn't feel like going to class when all that will be happening is everyone whispering and staring at me. Ya know what I mean?" Darrel grinned down at her and flipped her ponytail over her face.

"Yea, I know. So, watcha wanna do?" Sam glared up at Darrel and flipped her ponytail back, groaning as she did so.

"I don't know Darrel. I kinda thought that I would take a nap before Tammy came bouncing back in here, demanding to know why I haven't been to class. What did you have in mind?" Darrel leered at her and Sam shot him a disgusted look.

"Never mind, I shouldn't have asked. How about we go catch a movie or something in town? At least that way I can hide from Tammy a little longer." Darrel grinned and sprung up from the bed, pulling up Sam while he was in mind bounce.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Sam looked at him in stunned, surprised that he actually asked her opinion.

"I don't know. How about we wait to decide until we see what they are playing" Darrel grinned and started walking out the door. Sam smiled, thankful that they could just walk into town instead of worrying about transportation.

"By the way Sammy, you scared of Tammy?" Darrel grinned at Sam mischievously over his shoulder and quickly ran out the door, racing down the hall and out the doors when Sam suddenly gave a violent cry and lunged after him. They ran down the hall laughing and quickly reached town, deciding to watch the movie before picking up dinner and taking it back with them, hoping to pacify Tammy for leaving her out of the movie plans.

After the movie, Sam and Darrel stopped at McDonalds and picked up their order. Walking in the door of Sam's room, they saw Tammy sitting on the bed, pouting and glaring at them furiously.

"I hope you know that McDonalds won't stop me from beating the shit out of you guys. That was a dirty trick. Leaving me here being tortured while you both went out to the movies. Hah! You both might want to drop the food and run." Sam and Darrel looked at each other and began a mental countdown. Nodding their heads slightly to each other, they turned around and ran out the door and down the hall to his room.

They startled his roommate as Sam jumped on Darrel's bed as he slammed the door, barely missing Tammy's hand. She started banging on the door, demanding her food. Sam and Darrel grinned at each other and decided a plan of action. A throat cleared and Sam turned to finally look at Darrel's roommate.

"'Ello Sam. Darrel. So, why does Tammy want to kill you both? Could it be because neither of you could be found after lunch?" Sam blushed as she looked away from Josh's gaze, she same Josh that was the leader of the Black Roses. Darrel glared at Josh and threw a pillow in his face.

"Get your head outta da gutta man! We just went to see a movie. Sam didn't want to go to class because of what happened at lunch and I decided to keep her company. Not to mention I had to make sure that she wouldn't start any more fights." Sam glared at Darrel and then at Josh when she heard him starting to laugh. Huffing, she took her and Darrel's food out of the bag and rolled the edge of the bag down to keep Tammy's food hot. She walked over to Josh and pushed the food into his chest.

"Take this out to Tammy. Just make sure she doesn't get passed you. I _would_ like to eat before I die. Okay?" Josh left the room laughing and managed to grab Tammy's arm before she could get in and pulled her out while Darrel shut the door quickly and locked it.

"Now my pretty, I have you here all alone and the door is locked. So, what are we gonna do?" Sam smiled at him sweetly and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Well darlin', I thought that we could just do what I had planned on doing." Darrel grinned broadly and stepped closer to Sam, only to have her push her foot against his stomach.

"You didn't let me finish Darrel. I meant that I planned on eating before the food got colder. I have no _clue_ why you would think the way you were." Darrel groaned and then sighed, deciding to give up. He grabbed his food from beside her and stretched out beside her on the bed, his back against the headboard.

"You're killin me doll." Sam grinned at him after she swallowed the rest of her burger.

"I know."


	9. Chapter 8

_Mk. Here is your reward, chapter eight! Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!! *Don't forget to review* :)  
_

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

The next couple of years were pretty much the same. Sam stayed in California and visited Tammy and Darrel's families with them during the summer and spring vacations instead of going home. She and Darrel's family got along great and Sam always felt like she had a home to go to in case things were bad. Brynna had tried emailing Sam again and again, apologizing for what was said, but never received a reply from Sam. To her, her family was practically dead. Gram still stayed in touch with Sam constantly and they found a kinship, neither liking Wyatt's new wife. Her dad, sadly, didn't understand why Sam wouldn't come home and refused to speak to her until she did. Needless to say, she and her dad hadn't spoken for nearly two and a half years.

Surprisingly, Sam fit in with the gang and now hanged around with them like she had known them forever. She and Darrel teased each other constantly and ganged up on Tammy in pillow fights. Unfortunately, Tammy and Christian had broken up, but they were still talking to each other. Thank god. If they weren't, hello WWIII.

Sam had moved up in the gang ranks and was now third in command, second after Tammy. This was an accomplishment considering she was the fastest member to move from newbie status to third in command. Along with her, Darrel had also moved until he was second in command, first after Josh. Gaining spotlight, Sam had more challenges thrown to her than anyone else, just to test her. Making the Roses proud, she met each challenge and bested her opponent. Every time.

During those two years, Sam had gotten in many fights, either within the gang when she was trying to prove herself, or against the Blue Bloods, who still hadn't gotten over her putting their leader in jail. Unlike almost everyone else in the gang, Sam still didn't do drugs. Although she did occasionally drink with Darrel and Tammy. She and Darrel had become best friends during the time that they knew each other. Sure, Tammy and Sam were still friends, but it seemed as if Darrel made her have more fun whereas Tammy started getting more serious. Unnecessary to say, Darrel and Sam were the pranksters of the gang and kept everyone on their toes.

Right after the incident with Blake, Darrel made Sam come with him everyday to the gym and he taught her self-defense moves that he had learned and introduced her to a friend of his, who taught her how to fight with a knife and have perfect aim. She soon out-shot her instructor and was announced as a graduate in his 'Training School.' Sam became the secret weapon in gang fights and backed her partner up when he needed it.

All in all, everything was going great for Sam until she received news that changed her life forever at the end of her sophomore year.

The bell had just tolled its last time for the day and Sam wearily pushed back her chair and stood. She hadn't been sleeping well the past few days and wondered if she was coming down with the flu or something worse. A ball of paper sailed thru the air and bounced off of Sam's head, falling at her feet. Sighing, she picked it up and turned around to throw it back at Darrel. Because he wasn't expecting it, the paper ball hit him in the middle of his forehead. Sam laughed at the stunned look on his face and quickly gathered her books and left the room, pulling a laughing Tammy behind her. They quickly ran down the hall, not expecting Darrel to actually race after them. They turned a corner and looked around it to see Darrel a few steps behind them.

"Run!" Sam and Tammy raced back to their dorm room and slammed the door in Darrel's surprised face.

"Samantha!!!" Sam and Tammy fell onto their beds laughing hysterically and holding their stomachs.

"God that was _fun!_ What did you do to make him mad in the first place?" Sam smiled back at Tammy and shrugged.

"Nothing much. Just threw the paper ball back at him. Not _my_ fault that the ball mysteriously moved and hit him in the middle of his face." Tammy started to continue laughing again, cursing Sam because her stomach was starting to cramp.

"Dammit Sam! Quit making me laugh this hard." Sam started laughing again, but soon stopped when a big body landed on her. While she and Tammy were laughing their asses off, Darrel quietly entered the room using the key he had and flopped on Sam's stomach. He started laughing and smirking when Sam began hitting him on the head and pushing at his shoulders. Knowing that she couldn't budge him until either he wanted to move or she pulled a trick on him, she stopped hitting him and slightly sat up and gave him a quick lick on the neck. He quickly jumped slightly off of her and rolled to the side, trying to pull her with him. Anticipating this, Sam jumped up from the bed and ran back out of the room and down the hall to where he stayed with Josh. She slammed the door and locked it before pushing the desk and chair in front of it. She wiped the sweat off of her brow and turned around to find a stunned Josh laying on his bed doing his homework assignment.

"Hiya Joshy! How ya doin'?!" He continued to look at her in stunned silence and slowly closed the book he was reading from.

"I'm fine. Now, would you like to tell me exactly _why_ you are in my room and _why_ the desk and chair is pushed against the door preventing anyone from entering?" Sam shook her head slightly and laid down on Darrel's bed, propping her feet up with a huge pillow he kept at the foot of it.

"Not really, but since I can't get out of the room fast enough to get away from your tickling hands, I'll tell you. You see, Darrel is after me. Again. It's a long story." Josh continued to stare at her and seeing that she wasn't going to begin speaking again, he gave a sigh of frustration and pushed his hand through his hair.

"And?" Sam sighed again, not really wanting to tell the story. She knew that Josh would get a kick out of it and probably tell everyone else who then would also laugh about it and next thing she knew, boom, everyone's laughing at her. She decided to give in and get it over with, knowing that if Darrel was asked, everyone would get a slightly different story and it would only look good for him. This way, if she told it, she could tell the _truth_-which Darrel seems to be lacking-and make it to where she doesn't sound too…sluttyish.

"Well, you see, it all started last period. Darrel threw a piece of balled up paper at me and then I threw it back at him. He got mad because it landed in the middle of his forehead and decided to chase after me. Me and Tammy ran back to our room and shut the door. We started to laugh about it and kinda forgot that Darrel had a key to our room. So, when we were in the middle of our laughing fit, Darrel sneaked into the room and pounced on me, pinning me to the bed. I knew that he wouldn't move unless he wanted to or unless I surprised him, so Ikindalickedhisneckandranhere. The end." Josh stared at Sam in disbelief and tried to figure out what the last part of the story was. When it finally clicked, he threw back his head and laughed. Sam sighed, knowing that she would never hear the end of it and laid back on Darrel's bed, trying to get comfy. She knew that Darrel would find her eventually and pay her back for what she had done. As if reading her thoughts, Josh voiced his opinion in a very amused voice.

"You do know that when Darrel finds you, he _will_ get you." Sam sighed again and was about to answer when they heard the doorknob turn, followed by the lock clicking back. The person on the other side of the door tried to open it, but found that it wouldn't budge.

"SAMANTHA!!! I know you're in there. And Josh, if you're harboring her, I _will_ hurt you!" Sam let out a giggle before Josh's hand muffled the sound.

"Darrel! Go _away _man! It's only me in here. I got sick of people running in and out while I was trying to get my work done and Sam was the last straw. I threw her out and locked the door, pushing the desk in front of it as added security. Now go away so I can finish!" Sam and Josh heard Darrel sigh before he stomped away. It was a well-known fact that Josh was a touch obsessive when getting his work done and knew that he could be telling the truth when he said that he blocked the door to keep people out.

When the echo of Darrel's stomping faded away, Josh took his hand off of Sam's mouth and they both busted out laughing.

"Oh. My. God! I knew that he was dumb, but jeez! Who would put a frickin' _desk_ in front of the door to keep someone out so that they could study?" Sam wisely didn't say anything and just nodded her head in agreement.

"I don't know. Maybe…no, even he wouldn't. Do you think it's okay for me to go back to my room now?" Josh nodded and helped Sam move the chair and desk away from the door so she could make a quick getaway. Josh quickly opened his book and made it look like he had been doing serious studying before he allowed Sam to open the door. Peeking out, Sam looked left and right before running out into the hall and down to her room where she found it thankfully unlocked. Tammy looked up as Sam slammed the door shut and flopped down on her bed.

"So, where have you been hiding at?" Sam looked over to an amused Tammy and grinned impishly.

"In Darrel's room." At this, Tammy was stunned and looked at Sam in surprise.

"But Darrel just came in here and said that Josh pushed…the…door…Oh my god!! You _were_ in there! But it sounded so believable!" Sam grinned triumphantly.

"I know."

The rest of the night passed in relative peace and Darrel had finally found Sam. She apologized and he let her go with a minor tickle attack. They spent the night watching movies and munching on popcorn until everyone was leaning on each other and sleeping. This is how they were found when Tina and Josh went on the hunt for their wayward members. Having a sneaky thought, they backed out of the room again quietly and made a plan. Finding everything they needed to complete their plan in a matter of minutes, Tina and Josh crept back into the room, smiling mischievously. On a silent count of three, Josh flipped on the lights as Tina threw a bucket of water on them.

"RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEADS!! It's eight o'clock in the morning and class is in fifteen minutes!" Blinking up at them, they processed what was said and Sam was the first one to figure everything out.

"OH MY GOD!!!" She quickly ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Everyone heard the water start in the shower and grinned. They all knew of Sam's obsession of taking a long and hot shower before school. Usually it lasts near a half hour. They all knew that Sam's shower would be quick; therefore, they knew to get out of the room. And fast. Tammy decided to get ready in Tina's room because she was the only one lucky enough to not have a roommate.

Everyone met up again in homeroom and started chatting away while Sam was glaring moodily in front of her. Closing her eyes, she decided that she should try to get a few more minutes of sleep before the teacher came in to take role.

She was just about to settle into a content sleep when the door slammed open. Standing in front of her was Blake, leader of the Blue Bloods and the one that threatened to kill Sam when he got out for putting her in there. Sam went pale…and fainted.


	10. Chapter 9

_Say hello to chapter nine. I have been told that I was mean to end chapter eight where I did and I should go back to my room and finish my work. So…have fun and review! ___

**CHAPTER NINE**

When Sam woke up, she was staring at the ceiling of the classroom. _Eww…I wonder how that gum got there. Wait. I don't want to know._ Sam glanced around her and found Darrel, Tina, Josh, and Tammy staring at her. Looking passed them, Sam saw the rest of the Black Roses standing around them. Sitting up with the help of Darrel, Sam took stock of her body, making sure that she wasn't hurt too bad.

She tried to remember what made her faint in the first place and everything came rushing back in a flash. Looking around the Roses, she tried to spot Blake. She found him glaring at her from the outside of the circle. Sam shivered and turned her attention back to Darrel and found him looking at her in concern. She gave him a slight reassuring smile and took the hand he offered to her, allowing him to pull her up from her sitting position on the floor.

"You okay Sammy?" Sam turned to see Christian staring at her from his position in the circle. She gave him a slight nod and moved closer to Darrel, allowing his arm to rest across her shoulders. She gave a slight sigh and turned to see what was going on with the rest of the class. She found the room deserted and glanced back at Tammy with a frown on her face.

"Where did everyone else go?" Tammy gave a sheepish smile and a slight shrug. Sam growled low in her throat, knowing that she did something to clear everyone out and, judging by her actions, she wouldn't like it.

"Tammy…" Tammy sighed and gave in, giving a sideways glance in Tina's direction.

"Well you see, when we saw that you had passed out, I kinda sent a text to the rest of the gang and gave the 911 alert. Needless to say, when the class saw the 'notorious,'" Tammy had to stop here to give a slight snort of disbelief but finished when she was glared at by Sam, "Black Roses show up with scowls on their faces and bandanas displayed, they got a little panicked and rushed out. The teacher, cowardly idiot, ran after them in an attempt to 'get them back to class.'" We all chuckled at this knowing that he just used the skipping teenagers as an excuse to leave the classroom when trouble was likely to show. Darrel knew what she was thinking and gave her shoulder a slight squeeze in warning. Because they were caught up in laughing about their teacher, they had forgotten that Blake was still in the room until he started laughing out loud.

"Wow, really touching scene. Really. So, the little Roses became the big, bad kids on the block now, eh? Too bad. I'm just gonna hafta fix that ain't I?" Sam stiffened at the implication of his words and unknowingly stepped back from him and closer to Darrel than she already was. Just as someone was about to say something, the doors banged open and the dean came stomping in, followed by security.

"Alright. What's going on now?!" Everyone stepped back and Sam quickly walked away from Darrel, getting closer to the center of the group.

"Well, Sam fainted when she saw who walked in the door, which was an anticipated reaction considering the fact of what happened when she last saw him and the threats against her. He was just making subtle threats when you walked in." The dean nodded and turned around. He motioned for the security guards to leave the room and turned back to Sam.

"Is everything just said true?" At Sam's nod, he nodded his head again and cast a warning glance to Blake.

"Anything else that I hear about that is directly related to you will be in bad. For you. Don't let it happen. Understand?" Blake nodded his head in acceptance and the dean walked out. After a couple of seconds of staring each other down, everyone turned to see the doors open and the teacher's head stuck poked around the door.

"Is everything alright in here now?" Darrel was about to make a smart comment when Sam's elbow connected with his stomach. He let out a rush of air as Sam nodded her head.

"Yes Mr. Matthews, everything is alright. Right boys?" Sam turned a threatening glare to Darrel and Blake, the latter who glared back at her. Eventually they nodded and you could hear Mr. Matthews give a sigh of relief. He walked back into the classroom and was followed by the rest of the class. At a slight nod from Josh, the rest of the gang walked out of the classroom after giving a huge smile to Sam, a glare to Blake, and smirks to the rest of the class when they rushed to hug the wall in order to not get in their way. Once the door closed, Mr. Matthews cleared his throat and the class rushed to get to their seats. Sam just smiled indulgently at the class and walked to her seat in the back of the room. Darrel and Tammy followed her, both laughing along the way.

After class everyone went to their next classes and things were normal for the rest of the day. The gang met again at lunch and bullshitted each other. The bell rang and Sam went to her next class. She heard that in the next period there was a pop quiz and decided to skip that period. Going back up to her room, Sam found the door slightly open and came to a sudden halt. Her hand slipped into her pocket and closed around her knife, taking it out and flipping it open. She held it against her leg and slowly inched her way closer to her door. She felt someone behind her and turned around, surprised to see Darrel standing behind her. She noticed that he also had out his knife that she bought him for his sixteenth birthday. He nodded towards her door and gave her a questioning look. She responded with a slight shrug and turned around to begin inching back towards her room. Opening the door, she gasped in surprise.

Inside, the room was utter chaos. Clothes were thrown everywhere and the room was trashed. Sam turned to Darrel slowly and looked close to tears. Whether in anger or fear, Darrel didn't know which, but what he did know was that he didn't like it.

"Do you know why someone would do this?" Sam shook her head and grasped the knife harder. Darrel took it from her hands and closed it, silently slipping it into his pocket. Sam turned around and stalked back out of the room and ran down the stairs and to the school track. Pulling her track suit and sneakers from her locker, she quickly changed and ran out to the track, her footsteps pounding in time with the beat of the music blasting from her I-Pod. Darrel watched over her from the sidelines and hoped that no one would try stopping her.

After around an hour of running, Sam slowly came down to a jog and then a walk to cool out. She looked around and saw Darrel sitting on the bleachers, watching her cool out.

"Have you been sitting there the entire time?" When Darrel nodded, Sam gave him a grateful smile and walked up the steps to where he was sitting. He handed her a bottle of water and a towel, which she took from him with a slight smile.

"Ready to talk?" Sam shook her head and Darrel gave a slight nod, showing he understood. After a few minutes, Sam stood and went to change back into her street clothes. Coming out of the locker room, Sam saw Blake standing against the opposite wall with a smirk on his face. Sam glared at him and had a sinking suspicion that he knew something about her room. She went to confront him only to have Darrel pull her back.

"He's not work being suspended over. Let it go and come on. I bet Tammy's lookin' for us." Sam turned a last glare on Blake and allowed Darrel to lead her off. When they got back to the dorms, Tammy came stomping down the hall towards them.

"I take it you saw what happened to our room?" Tammy gave a glare and a curt nod and stalked back to the room. Sam and Darrel followed her and together, they had the room cleaned up. Instead of doing their nightly movie marathon, everyone turned in early for the night and morning came with a vengeance.


	11. Chapter 10

_Okie dokie. Here is chapter ten. Hope you enjoy! *Remember to review also!* ___

**CHAPTER TEN**

Thunder was crashing and rain was pelting the rooftops when Sam rolled out of bed the next morning. Sighing, she threw a pillow at Tammy and told her to get up. Tammy groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head.

"Go away." Sam gave a slight laugh and pulled the pillow off of Tammy's head.

"No, I don't think I will. You see, if I have to get up, so do you. Today's Friday, you can sleep in tomorrow." Tammy groaned again and cracked an eye at Sam.

"You do know that I _am_ going to have to kill you when I can get out of bed, right?" Sam laughed and waltzed into the bathroom, slamming the door on Tammy's frustrated growl.

When Sam came out of the bathroom a half hour later, Tammy walked by Sam, grinning in triumph. Curious and a bit frightened, Sam turned to see what was causing Tammy to grin like that and found Darrel leaning against her bed, sitting on her clothes. Glancing down, Sam realized she was only in a towel. A short towel. A short and soaking wet towel. She screamed in fury and turned around to run back into the bathroom only to find the door locked and Tammy cackling on the other side.

"TAMMY!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" A sudden burst of laughter caused Sam to quickly turn around and glare at the intruder.

"Don't think you are getting away with this also. You _know_ I always take long showers and leave my clothes out here to change into while Tammy takes her shower. Instead of waiting in here to talk or whatever, you could've stood in the hall until the door was opened. Jeeze!!! Now, kindly _get out_ before I kill you!" Sam took a threatening step towards Darrel and he froze. Seeing the maniacal look on her face, he quickly turned around and shot out the door, a wild look in his eyes.

The door slammed shut and Sam closed her eyes in relief. That had been close. Too close. Sam glared at the bathroom door and promised revenge. Somehow. Glancing at the clock, Sam saw she had wasted five minutes yelling at Tammy and Darrel and only had about fifteen minutes to finish getting ready for school. Throwing off the towel, she quickly got dressed and pulled on her boots. Looking around, she spotted her hairbrush and decided to tackle the mess that she called hair. Five minutes later, the mess was finally tamed and she quickly put on her eyeliner, forgoing the usual eye shadow and mascara. Tammy came out the door as Sam was hooking on her necklace and they both grabbed their books, determined to not be late during the next to last week of school.

They both slid into their seats right before the bell rang and gave a sigh of relief. Darrel looked at them amused and Sam didn't take it lightly.

"You know, it's _your_ fault that I was almost late. You were the one in our room when I came out in only a towel. If I would've been late, it would've been you I gelded, capiche?" Darrel swallowed loudly and turned back around front, keeping out of Sam's reach. The morning went by slowly and everyone was half-asleep, the steady beat of the rain drummed out a soft lullaby.

The lunch bell rang and doors flew open as students poured out of the classrooms. Sam, Tammy, and Darrel were caught in the crush as the other kids rushed to the cafeteria. Deciding to drive into town to get a pizza, they got into Darrel's firebird with Sam shouting "Shotgun!"

They got back to school with five minutes to spare and was walking by Sam's mustang when they noticed a scratch going from one end of the car to the other. Sam's eyes hardened and her lips pushed against each other in a straight line. Darrel and Tammy kept quiet as Sam inspected the rest of her car and frowned. The tardy bell rang and they rushed off to class, trying to figure out who had keyed Sam's car.

The teacher frowned at them as they walked into the room and they smiled apologetically while murmuring "sorrys" to the teacher. They walked to their seats, situated in the back, without glancing at anyone else. Sitting down, they turned to the front and saw that Blake had also came in and was smirking at them. Sam glared at Blake and turned, putting her back to him, to talk to Darrel.

"Do you think it was him?" Darrel looked up to scrutinize Blake's expression before giving a slight nod.

"Yea, to tell you the truth, I think so. But da thing is, we have no way of provin' he did it. Ya know?" Sam gave a slight nod and turned back to the teacher, ready to get this class over with.

The rest of the day passed quietly and many fell asleep in their classes. The rain had not yet stopped and teachers talked louder, hoping to draw their students focus to them. It didn't work.

Sam, Tammy, and Darrel were sitting in Sam's room, ready to start their movie night when a knock sounded against the door. They did a quick 'rock-paper-scissors' to decide who was going to move from their comfy position to answer the door. Sam lost. She opened the door to find Kris, the youngest member of their gang, beat up and blood running from his nose. Sam's shout brought Darrel and Tammy to the door, Darrel with a knife and Tammy with a cell phone. Seeing what was happened to Kris, Darrel put up his knife and carefully picked him up, taking him into the room and placing him on Tammy's bed. The cell phone was thrown to Sam who quickly sent a 911 message to the rest of the gang and told them to get down to her room ASAP.

By this time, Tammy had cleaned the blood off of Kris' face and Darrel had taken off his clothes, leaving him in his boxers so they could better determine what all had happened to him. The rest of the gang quickly showed up and saw the condition Kris was in. The words that came out of his mouth stopped them cold. They could barely make out what he said from the wheezing noises he was making. But what they made out ignited their anger.

"…message from Blake. He said…time to play…this is war…challenge thrown down…to Sam…tomorrow…midnight." Sam's face blazed with anger and she turned to stare Darrel in the face knowing he would be the one to argue.

"I accept."


	12. Disclaimer

Okay, time for me to put up a standing disclaimer. I do _not_ own any rights to the Phantom Stallion series. Furthermore any names, events, gang members, etc. that you may know is a matter of odd-ness. This has come from my own over-active imagination and I have not taken anything known to me...except some concepts and such from my friends that are in gangs...to put in my stories. Mk? Sorry if there was any confusion about this. If it offends, please know that I don't mean for it to. Aussie, sorry for your loss. I know how it is...we have rival gangs where I live and unfortunately, many of my friends are members...and I live in the middle of territory...fun fun...

~Crystal Pony


	13. Chapter 11

_Okay, here is the next chapter. Have fun with it! A/N: I'm studying the Wiccan faith-not converted yet. That's why I probably slipped with Goddess. K? Thanks for the reviews! You guys don't know how much they make me and my friends-who are reading this also-laugh in the mornings. :)*Remember to review!* ___

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Waking up the next morning, the rain was still hammering the roof top and lightening was flashing against the windowpanes. Tammy rolled out of the bed and looked towards Sam's bed in shock. She was still sleeping. To Tammy, this was odd because it was usually Sam that was out of bed before Tammy, not the other way around. Tammy looked at the clock and decided that Sam could sleep in a little; it was only a quarter after eight.

Tammy quickly showered and got dressed, tiptoeing out of the room to get breakfast in the cafeteria. Stepping into the cafeteria, Tammy looked straight into Blake's face. He was surrounded by Blue Bloods and everyone was glancing around warily. The room fell silent as Tammy strolled over to where Blake was standing. Stopping a foot away from him, she hissed out Sam's agreement. The smirk grew on his face and he nodded his head. Tammy went to turn away when the next words stopped her.

"So, how's the kid?" Turning around, Tammy went to fly at him, but was held back by a set of arms. She hadn't known Josh had come into the room yet, but knew he would stop her if he did.

"Ohh…I'm scared. The itty bitty girl is gonna get me. Not." A fist went flying at his face and he was knocked flat on his back again. Looking up, he found Sam crouching down next to him with a knife held at his throat.

"Don't mess with me or my gang. Understand?" When he slightly nodded, she pulled away and stood up before turning around to head back to her room. This was the first time that anyone noticed she was in her pjs. Tammy looked at her in surprise and Sam just smiled.

"I was told that there was a fight about to break out and that I needed to get down here. So I did. Now, if you can behave and not pick any fights for the next half hour, I'm going to bed." Tammy nodded her head slightly, knowing how Sam was if she was deprived of sleep.

"Yes mama. I promise." Sam narrowed her gaze at Tammy's mocking tone and just shook it off, heading back to her room. Tammy and Josh turned around when they heard Blake starting to move around and took a step back out of his reach.

"What, you scared or sumthin'?" Tammy raised her eyebrows at him and rolled her eyes. She turned around and headed to a line, trying to decide what she wanted to eat when she heard Josh step behind her.

"So, Darrel's really letting Sam accept Blake's challenge?" Tammy turned and glared at him, daring him to finish.

"Darrel doesn't _allow_ Sam to do anything. He's not her keeper. Right?" Josh nodded his head and turned to head back to their table. The rest of the gang showed up and everyone sat around chatting as they waited for Sam to come down. It was about an hour and a half later when the door were pushed open to allow a stalking Sam to come into the room. She was dressed in black jeans with a red tank, showing her toned middle. The shoes she was wearing were the ones Tammy liked to call her 'ass-kickers' and the gang's bandana was tied around her wrist into an intricate looking bracelet.

"So, everyone behave while I was gone?" Everyone started laughing at this comment. She pulled out a chair next to Darrel and sat down, ready to feed her stomach. She snatched a blueberry muffin out of Tina's hand and munched on it, trying to decide what she wanted to eat. She finally decided on a couple of pancakes with sausage, rounded out with a glass of Minute Maid Orange Juice. The others sat around with her as they were waited until her breakfast was finished.

Looking around, Sam found the nearest trashcan to dump her empty tray and, with that being taken care of, she went back to the table and asked if anyone wanted to go to a movie with her. Josh and Darrel agreed to go to one, but everyone else begged off, claiming they had something to do. Sam noticed that Darrel and Josh were tense as they walked out to the parking lot, this time taking Josh's black Pontiac. Once they were on the road, however, they seemed to lighten up and that's when Sam knew; they were acting as bodyguards. She knew she should be mad but she couldn't muster up the energy for it.

The movie lasted for about an hour and a half. Somehow Sam convinced them to go to the mall with her. Don't ask. She would have to kill you. They ended up eating a light snack at the bar and decided to return home when Sam looked at her phone and saw it was nearly five o'clock. They headed back out to the car and went back to the school, slightly wound up. On the way back to the dorms, Sam pulled out her cell and placed an order at Pizza Hut for a couple of pizzas to be delivered.

A knock came from the door and Sam opened it to find the rest of the gang standing there grinning and holding the pizzas in their arms along with cases of soda. She caught on and gave a loud 'whoop' in enjoyment. She opened the door further to allow everyone the room to enter and followed behind, glancing into the hallway to find it deserted and locking the door against unwelcome visitors.

Sam turned to see Tammy and Darrel crowded around the pizzas and rushed over, pulling the box out of Darrel's arms and placing it back on the other stacks sitting on the table.

"Nuh uh Darrel! You know what they say." Sam turned to grin at Tammy and the rest of the girls before turning back to Darrel. "Ladies first." The guys groaned and started forward again until Tina's knife came into view.

"I don't think so boys. Sammy girl is right. Ladies first." Sam and the rest of the girls crowded around the boxes and stole a case of Mello-Yellow, Dr. Pepper, and a few boxes of cheese and pepperoni pizza. The guys groaned when they saw this and evil chuckles answered their unvoiced pleas.

The next few hours were spent with everyone laughing, playing video games, and getting pumped up for the upcoming fight. Darrel's watched chimed the eleventh hour and the room became silent. Sam slowly stood up and walked to the door. Turning back, she saw everyone sitting on their asses and cocked her hip, placing a hand on it and raising her eyebrows.

"Coming?" The floor shuddered with the impact of feet jumping up and crossing to the door to where Sam stood.

"So ladies and gents, are we ready to kick some ace?!" Yells of 'hell yea' answered her and she turned with a big grin on her face to Darrel and Tammy.

"Got my back?" They both nodded and she smiled her thanks. She turned to the door and opened it, walking down the hall to the doors that led to the woods. It took them only a few minutes to reach the clearing and set up a strategy. They knew that the Bloods would think to come early to do the same and, to tell the truth, Sam just wanted it over with.

The gang started to warm up until faint sounds of branches snapping under pressure reached them. They all straightened slowly and stepped close together again, facing the direction from which the sound came from. Blue shirts slowly melted from the dark woods and the moon shone down on the bandanas tied around the foreheads of the Blue Bloods. Sam stepped forward and checked to make sure her bandana was still tied tight around her wrist. She smirked at Blake's grin and checked the rest of the gang out, knowing they were doing the same. She felt Tammy and Darrel flank her as Tina and Josh stepped out from the group to meet Blake and the other leader Krista.

"Started to think that you guys were gonna whimp out and not show up. We've been waitin' for ya." Blake growled in Josh's face as Tina and Krista glared at each other.

"Wow, the bitch decided to step from her pack. How ya doing Kristi?" The fire in Krista's eyes heated with the mispronunciation of her name.

"I've been just fine slut. So, how's your precious Sammy doin'? I hear she's messin' wit all the guys in your little gang. Right?" Sam growled and began to move forward before Darrel grabbed her arms and pulled her back against his chest. He whispered a quiet 'don't' and she slowly nodded, indicating that he could let her go. He did and she stepped back and began to jump in place, anticipating the fight. Josh and Blake soon quit their glaring contest when the sounds of a low growl entered the night. Eyes turned to see Tina sitting on Krista's belly, punching her in the face. Blake turned and lunged at Josh, signaling that the fight was on.

Sam's arm was grabbed and she immediately swung around, punching out at her attacker. Her fist struck true and the guy staggered back, holding his hand to his nose. Sam followed with a swift kick to the midsection and swiped his feet out from under him. Just as he went down, someone came behind Sam and swung her around, holding a knife to her throat. The sounds of the fighting went on around them but all Sam could hear was the malicious whispers that greeted her.

"Hello Sammy baby. How ya doin'? I'm gonna get you now for what you have done. No one makes a fool of me, understand?" The latter was shouted and drew the attention of Tina. She saw Blake punch Sam in the stomach and saw her slide to the ground. A flash of silver caught her eye and she ran, seeing that Sam was about to be turned into a shish kabob. Pulling her knife, Tina got between Sam and Blake, shoving Sam away with her foot. Sam got to her feet slowly when a cry pierced the air. She turned to see the handle of a knife shining from its position in Tina's abdomen. Sam cried a strangled 'no' and ran to where Blake was, pulling her knife as she ran. Suddenly, someone stepped in her path with a knife in his hand. Startled, Sam looked at the stranger and recognized him as Blake's never-mentioned brother. She wondered why he was here, but the flashing of a blade stopped her. Instinctively, she shot her arm out to stop the downward strike and drove her own knife into the attacker's jugular vein.

She hurriedly stepped back, in shock over what she did. Turning, she saw Blake glance at her and his eyes widened in shock. He started to run after her when sirens split the air and the woods became silent. Sam was jerked back to reality when everyone started to run off into the woods. She started to turn to do the same when her arm was jerked back. She acted on instinct and went to punch who was holding her when she noticed the red bandana. She looked up to see Josh and went cold at the expression in his eyes.

"Leave tonight. Don't tell anyone where you are going. Tina is now dead and I have nothing to live for. I'll cover for you. As you know, Tammy is a new leader and now, Darrel is. I'm giving up my position as leader of the Black Roses." Josh turned to Darrel and found him shocked, his eyes wide.

"Darrel, go with Samantha. Make sure no harm comes to her and protect her if necessary. Tammy can lead this gang without help. I'll provide a cover story and make alibis for you two. You were out at the movies, got a call saying that Tina was killed in a pre-arranged gang fight, and decided to leave. Now _go_ before someone shows up!" Darrel nodded in acceptance and turned, tugging on Sam's arms.

"Let's go Sammy. Time to ride." They raced back to their dorms and hurriedly packed their most important things, deciding to purchase new things when they reached their destination. They met back out in the parking lot and started their respective cars and arranged to meet at a gas station down the road.

Sam pulled in and filled up the gas tank, deciding to clean up quickly and grab something for the road. Coming out, she found Darrel waiting for her and knew the question.

"Don't ask. Just follow." He nodded and turned, heading out to his car. Sam slowly followed him and pulled out into the traffic. She drove for an hour and was startled out of her thoughts when her phone rang.

"So Sammy, ready to tell me where we're going?" Sam sighed and sent her eyes heavenward.

"Darrel, I'm going home."


	14. Chapter 12

_Ok…I've left you waiting long enough. Here it is! Review…___

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

The radio was playing soft country music as Sam passed into Nevada. Looking at the clock, she sighed in frustration, knowing it would be at least another hour before she found a bed to sleep in. She glanced back and saw the headlights of Darrel's car wink at her and pulled over, allowing him to lead the way. She smiled slightly when she noticed where he was going and figured that at least _he_ knew what he was doing even if she didn't.

Sam pulled up behind him at the all-night (actually morning) drive-thru and ordered a double cheeseburger with large fries and an extra-large soda. Thinking for a minute and shuddering at the long drive before her, she added an M&M McFlurry to her order, knowing she would need the sugar to stay awake.

When they received their food, they pulled up beside each other in the parking lot to eat. Instead of eating alone, Darrel grabbed his food and stole Sam's passenger seat, throwing her stuff in the back. She was too tired to protest the treatment of her clothes and just decided to let it go. He grinned at her before opening his burger and taking a large bit of it, chasing it with a swallow of Coke. She grinned back at him and began eating her food, literally inhaling it. A fight will make you do that considering the last time they ate was around nine last night and it was already two o'clock now.

They both lapsed into silence, going through the events of that night and reliving their memories. The radio continued playing in the background, adding a melancholy mood to the atmosphere. The sounds of paper wrappers crinkled in the car. The silence was broken by Darrel when he loudly slurped his Coke. Sam slowly turned her head to look at him and saw him wearing an innocent look. She raised her eyebrow at him and continued to stare while he fidgeted in his seat. Finally, he cracked.

"What?!" Sam continued to look at him for a few more moments and suddenly busted out laughing. Her laughter was joined by Darrel's and the heavy cloak of silence was lifted. They finished up their late, _late _snack and stuffed the empty wrappers in the bags. Sam reached for her McFlurry, but was startled when it was snatched out of her hands. She turned to glare at Darrel and he held the shake out of reach, teasing her with it and pretending to take a bite. She snarled at him and launched herself across the seat, grabbing for it. Her knee landed in his lap and he gave a strangled cry, letting her have the dessert back.

Sam sat back and smiled at him while taking a bite of it while he huddled closer to the door and glared at her, holding a hand over himself protectively.

"That wasn't funny Sammy. Not at all. In fact, that hurt." Sam continued to smile at him and took another bite before she answered.

"Well, if you wouldn't have taken my McFlurry, there wouldn't have been any problems. Right?" Darrel continued to glare at her and reached to grab the trash.

"I'm dumping this and then getting started again. You lead since I haven't been through this way before. Got it?" Sam nodded her head and continued to eat her McFlurry, trying to finish it before Darrel got back in his car. She sighed and looked at her half-full container, knowing it would never happen. She regretfully placed the spoon in the cup and set it in the extra-large cup holder beside her Mello-Yellow and put back on her seatbelt. She started the car and waited for Darrel to start his before she pulled out into the night and led the way home.

With that, her thoughts turned to her family and she cringed at the confrontation that was sure to follow. She sighed again and turned the radio up, changing it to a hard rock station and continued on through the night.

Dawn was breaking the horizon when Sam and Darrel passed the sign that said 'Welcome to Darton.' The radio announcer said that it was seven o'clock and Sam sighed in weariness, pulling over to the side of the road. Darrel pulled up beside her and rolled his window down, confusion flashing across his face.

"Whattcha doin' Sammy?" Sam sighed again and looked around her.

"Thinking mostly. Wanna get something to eat?" Darrel just grinned at her and continued down the road, rolling up his window. Sam just stared at him in disbelief and started laughing. Of course she should've known better than asking him if he wanted to eat. That boy could out-eat a starving wolf.

Sam pulled back onto the road and followed after Darrel, hoping he knew the general direction of where there would be food.

"Though, now thinking about it, food is the only thing that Darrel could ever find without a map." Sam startled herself when she began talking aloud. She sighed and shook her head, knowing that she better find a bed to sleep in, and fast. She continued following Darrel and slowed down when he suddenly put on his blinker to turn into a parking lot. Sam looked around and gasped.

_No, _please_ tell me he _didn't_ just turn into Clara's. _Sam's mental ramblings flew out the window when the car door was suddenly pulled open and Sam was pulled out of the driver's seat.

"Come on Sammy! You mentioned food and now you _will_ eat! Let's go or I'll personally drag you in there. Capiche?" Sam groaned and turned around to lean back into the car and get her purse and pull the keys out of the ignition. She turned back around to Darrel and shut the car door, motioning to him to begin walking.

The diner's door chimed and they both walked into the relative coolness of the restaurant. Sam led Darrel to a booth in the back and they slid in as a waitress came up to them. She glanced at Sam and her eyes widened in shock. She slowly stepped back and her hand went to her throat.

"Louise?" The noise dimmed as all eyes swung to the pair that sat in the back. Sam blushed and shook her head 'no.' Eyes watering slightly as she recalled her mother.

"No. I'm Samantha."


	15. Chapter 13

_Now that _that_ cliffhanger is over, here is chapter thirteen. _

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Eyes widened in shock at Sam's words and Darrel looked around worriedly, making sure everything wouldn't get out of hand. He was startled when someone rushed over and grabbed Sam into a bone-breaking hug.

"God Sam! We've missed ya!!!" Darrel looked up to see a guy a couple of years older than them squeezing Sammy to death.

"Quinn…Quinn…dammit Quinn! Put me down so I can breathe!" Sam was suddenly released and she fell into her chair, gasping for breath. Darrel cleared his throat and Quinn's gaze jumped to him.

"And you are…?" Darrel glared at his tone and stood up, standing eye to eye with Quinn (which was quite a feat considering Quinn was around 6'2").

"My name's Darrel. I take it you know _my_ Sammy girl?" Quinn glared back at him and turned to Sam.

"Where did you pick _him_ up at? A street corner?" Sam gasped and stepped up to Quinn. She balled her hand up in a fist and let it fly, connecting to Quinn's stomach. When he leaned over gasping she whispered in his ear.

"He's my friend, my protector, my brother. Don't disrespect. The Sam you know is gone. I can still be your friend but remember that he is too." Quinn nodded slightly and stood back up to glare at Darrel. He started speaking to Sam without his gaze leaving Darrel's.

"I understand. I wish I knew why you changed, but I will get used to it. Jake's not here, but I'll let him know you're back. Nate and Bryan are back at the ranch. Are you gonna stop there soon?" Sam sighed and shook her head.

"Don't tell anyone I'm back yet, okay? I want to break it to my _parents_ before it gets around town. Right?" She said this while looking at everyone around her and saw the nods of agreement. They knew what had happened between Sam and her father and step-mother and knew that what Sam requested would be for the best. Sam sighed again in relief as Quinn nodded his head, gave her a last hug, and went out the door. She looked over at Darrel and saw him watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?!" He just shook his head at her and went back to looking at the menu, trying to decide what to eat first. The waitress came back over and the hum of noise started up again.

"So, want to tell me what that was all about?" Sam just shook her head 'no' and went back to figuring out her breakfast. Darrel let the subject drop for now and waved the waitress over. They both placed their orders and sat in silence until the waitress came back with their food. They both ate quickly and quietly, not noticing the drop of noise in the diner. A shadow fell over their booth and Sam looked up and wished she didn't. Standing in front of her was Jake and his eyes were blank. Sam swallowed her food loudly and slowly set down the fork. It dropped with a slight 'clack' to the plate. Eyes turned once again to the back and many noticed that Darrel had also dropped his fork and was sitting loosely in his seat, stance screaming protector.

"Brat?" Sam gulped again and suddenly flew out of the chair and crashed into Jake. He quickly readjusted his stance to keep them both from falling and caught Sam in a hug. He was amazed at how strongly she hugged him and he looked to the other man sitting with Sam. He eyes hardened slightly and he brought his arms up to wrap Sam in a hug. Just as quickly as he did, Sam stepped back and looked up at him with a bright smile on her face.

"I'm _so_ happy to see you! I can't believe how tall you are. Jeeze. What is it with you and your brothers, huh? Just can't be happy staying short like all the normal people around here?" The diner began laughing and the tense silence passed. Jake slid into the booth next to Sam and looked across the table at Darrel. He noticed the posture Darrel held and grinned.

"You know, you don't have to worry 'bout me hurtin' Sam. She knows better and _I_ know better. More than likely she would hurt me. Still know how to throw that punch I taught you?" His attention turned back to Sam and she grinned at him. Little did he know that she balled up her fist and let it fly into his arm, showing him just how well she could still punch.

"Yep. Want another demo?" Jake shook his head at her, the tomcat grin stealing across his face.

"Nah. Once was enough, thanks. So, gonna introduce me to him?" Jake jerked his head towards Darrel and Sam blushed.

"Oh. My. God. I'm _so_ sorry! Jake this is Darrel, one of my best friends. Darrel this is Jake, an old friend of mine. Want to have breakfast with us?" Jake nodded his head and waved the waitress over to take his order.

After placing his order, Jake looked back to see Darrel glaring at him. Jake blanked his expression and raised an eyebrow. Sam quietly clearly her throat and brought both of their attention to her.

"Alright. What's going on with you two?" Jake shrugged while Darrel just shook his head at her.

"Nothing Sammy girl. Just nothin'." Sam sighed at them both and went back to eating her breakfast before it got cold. Breakfast was finished in silence and Jake slowly stood up.

"Will you be telling your parents that you're back today?" Sam shook her head at him and swallowed her food before talking.

"No, I'll tell them myself when I'm ready. Right now, I just need to get enrolled in school and find a place where we can stay." Jake looked at her in confusion and Sam sighed again.

"I'm not staying where I'm not wanted. Alright?" Jake just continued to look at her and slowly nodded his head.

"Why are you moving back? And don't take it the wrong way, I just want to know if something happened." Sam shook her head at his protectiveness and smiled, a hint of sadness clouding her eyes.

"No, nothing happened. I just wanted to get away from there. I wasn't getting along with anyone there." Jake just looked at her and sighed.

"Sam, don't lie to me. You don't have to tell me now, but know that I _will_ help you if you need it, okay?" Sam nodded at him and was startled when Darrel spoke up.

"Where we stayin' Sammy girl?" Jake slowly turned to him and glared.

"Excuse me?" Darrel glared back and Sam sighed again.

"Jake, Darrel is like an older brother to me. Okay? Do you know if any of my friends from pre-school are still around?" Sam's expression went from hopeful to desolate when Jake told her that everyone moved away.

"Dammit! _Now_ where will we stay?" Jake sighed and looked back and forth between them, hoping that he wouldn't regret this.

"You can both stay at Three Ponies." With this proclamation came silence.

"Are you sure Jake? Don't you have to ask your parents?" Jake just looked at her with a dumb expression on his face.

"Sam, you're practically family. They won't care. Just let me know if Quinn starts buggin' ya. K?" Sam grinned at him and nodded her head. She turned to Darrel to see him doing the same. Looking back at Jake, she asked the dreaded question.

"So, where will I sleep?"


	16. Chapter 14

_Here is chapter fourteen. Have fun and review. ___

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Jake rubbed the back of his neck and scuffed his boot-encased toe across the floor. Darrel sat at the table grinning like a fool and Sam just smirked at Jake, having caught him in a situation where he didn't think everything out. Jake raised his eyes to meet Sam's and gave a small shrug. Sam started laughing and Jake gave a small grin.

"I'll let ma figure that out. I'm guessing that Darrel will be stayin' in Kit's old room. I don't know where you'll be stayin' though." Sam nodded her head and smiled again at Jake's shyness. Pulling out his cell phone, Jake looked at the time and turned to leave, throwing a grin over at Sam.

"See ya later Brat. _Some_ of us actually have school today." Sam grinned and wiggled her fingers as a wave.

"Ciao and have fun!" Jake glared at Sam and left the restaurant after paying for his meal. Sam watched him walk away and was startled when Darrel cleared his throat.

"So, I take it we now have a place to stay?" Sam sighed and nodded her head at him.

"Yep. So, I suggest we start shopping. Jake's mom works as a history teacher at the public high school and won't be home until later. Jake's dad works in town and his brothers are probably out on the range, riding fence. Nobody will be there so it's best that we just stay here and get the stuff we need. Mainly clothes."

Darrel laughed and followed Sam out the door, paying for their food on the way out. As they were opening the doors of their cars, a lady's voice shouted out Sam's name. She turned and saw the waitress from earlier coming towards them.

"Are you going to see your parents yet?" Sam shook her head at her and started to get in the car. The waitress had a knowing look in her eye and started talking again.

"I take it you're not too fond of your new mother?" Sam glared at the lady and the waitress laughed in amusement.

"Don't worry. Not many of us like her either. If it doesn't work out with the Elys, you can just stop back here and I'll let you crash at my house until you can find a more permanent place. Okay?" Sam smiled in appreciation and amusement, nodding her head. She waved to the waitress and looked at her nametag.

"Thanks Suzie. I'll let you know if I need a place to stay." They smiled at each other and Sam got in her car, leading Darrel to the mall. Pulling up, Darrel grimaced at Sam and asked for sympathy.

"Nope. We are staying here. Now quit whining. You can carry my bags."

For the next few hours, Sam and Darrel shopped, picking up things they needed and just plain wanted along the way. It was nearing noon when they pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Clara's to eat lunch. They both pulled in and got out of their cars, heading back in to the booth in the back. They had just ordered their meal when the door chimed. A hush settled over the crowd and Sam looked up in curiosity. Her gaze immediately went to the woman standing at the counter with a baby on the way. Not believing that she wasn't told of this new event, Sam sucked in a loud breath, murmuring the word 'no'. The lady must have heard because she turned to look at Sam and Darrel. The woman paled and placed a protective hand over her protruding stomach.

"You!"


	17. Chapter 15

_The slave driver has spoken. Here it is. Review! __J_

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Sam jumped up from her chair and bolted to the door, Darrel closely following her. Their uneaten meal laid forgotten on the table. Darrel was in reach of her car when she spun off down the road. He was immediately on his cell, calling her and trying to figure out what just happened. The call went straight to voicemail. He sent a quick prayer to God to watch her and make sure she didn't wreck her car and kill herself.

Darrel turned and headed back into the diner and paused when he saw the woman sitting at their table and going through the purse that Sam had forgotten. _Damn. That meant she didn't have her license. I hope she doesn't do anything stupid._ He suddenly realized that a complete stranger was going through his sister's purse and stomped over to the table, snatching it and her wallet out of the lady's hands. Ice dripped from his voice as he spoke to the pale woman.

"Excuse me. What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The woman paled even more and turned to look at the tanned hand that snatched her step-daughter's possessions away.

"My name is Brynna. She's my step-daughter. I think the real question is _who are you?"_ Darrel sighed and stuck Sam's stuff back in her purse, suddenly realizing why Sam left in a rush.

"It's none of your business who I am. Just know that she's not your responsibility. She's mine. Now leave and let me, at least, finish my lunch in silence." Brynna stood up from the table and stalked away from Darrel. He sighed and sat back down, quickly finishing his lunch and ordering Sam and fresh plate to go. The waitress came back over with Sam's lunch and Darrel nodded his thanks. He left to pay the bill, but the woman running the cash register wouldn't take his money. He tried to leave it on the counter along with the bill, but the woman called him back and put the money in his hand.

"Just go take care of Sam. Lunch's on the house." Darrel smiled at her in thanks and left the diner, calling Sam on the way to his car. She finally picked up and he could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Hey doll. Where you at?" Sam sighed on the other end of the phone and gave Darrel directions to the place where she was. About a half hour later, he turned off from the road onto a dirt drive that was rutted and looked well-used. His car came to a stop when he reached her car. He looked around and noticed Sam sitting on a rock with her knees pulled up to her chin, her arms embracing herself. He silently walked over to her and set her food down next to her before wrapping her in his arms.

"What's wrong doll?" Sam sighed and continued to look off into the distance.

"Nothing much. I was just shocked to see her pregnant. Again." Darrel finally understood and took a guess at what the problem was.

"I take it that you didn't know she was pregnant?" Sam nodded her head again and continued to look out at the _playa._ Darrel sighed and sat down with her, trying to figure out what he could say to comfort her. He ended up staying silent and they gazed out at the desert beach. Sam finally began eating her now-cold lunch and Darrel sighed in relief.

They stayed in this position for close to an hour when Sam looked down at the time displayed on her phone and sat up quickly. Darrel quickly looked at his watch and saw that it was close to two o'clock. He didn't get what was rushing Sam and quickly got up, following her to where their cars were parked.

Sam quickly stuffed the wrappers in the bag of garbage on the floor and got behind the wheel. She looked over to see Darrel still standing by the car and looking at her in confusion. She sighed and remembered that he hadn't been here before and therefore didn't know how long it would take to finish picking up their items and get to the ranch. She rolled down the window and motioned him over. After she explained what had her rushing to get things done, he nodded his head and jumped into his own car, quickly turning over the motor and pulling out after her.

They spent the next hour finishing their shopping and headed towards Three Ponies Ranch. It was close to an hour later when they pulled into the yard. They turned off their cars and sat there for a few moments. Sam finally got out of the car when the door to the house opened and heard Darrel do the same. Sam looked up into a petite blonde woman's face and knew they were welcome. The woman slowly walked down the steps toward Sam and they met in the middle with a bone-crushing hug. Maxine squeezed the daughter of her long-dead friend and started crying. The quiet sobs had Sam crying and this how they stood, holding each other and crying, when the sound of a truck rumbling in and the slamming of car doors broke them apart. Sam turned to see her dad striding towards her, with a pregnant Brynna looking smug beside him. The angry scowl on his face made Sam stumble backwards and Darrel step in front of both her and Maxine. The house doors opened and Luke stepped out along with Quinn and Jake. Assessing the situation, they strode down the steps and stood in front of Wyatt and Brynna, effectively halting their advances. Luke stepped forwards and was about to speak when a soft voice halted his words.

"Hello _father_."


	18. Chapter 16

_Okay, slave driver wins. Again. Review! ___

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Wyatt stopped suddenly and stared at the mirror image of his late wife. Brynna growled low in her throat and stepped up beside Wyatt and took his arm, effectively marking him as 'hers.' Really odd considering that Wyatt is Sam's dad. Jake stepped forward and stood next to Sam, Darrel stood on the other side. Wyatt glanced at them both and stepped forward again, but was stopped by his wife's arm enfolding him.

"Samantha." Sam sighed and felt a hand slip around her waist. She was subtly moved closer to Darrel and Wyatt's eyes narrowed. Jake looked over to glare at Darrel and decided to leave the matter for a different time. Wyatt glanced at Jake and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing Jake?" Jake smirked and glanced at Brynna.

"Keeping Sam from battling the she-witch. Problem?" Wyatt glared at Jake and a muffled laugh came from Luke as Sam punched Jake in the arm. Quinn cleared his throat and looked pointedly at Wyatt.

"You needed something?" Wyatt glared at him and turned his attention back to Sam.

"Why are you here and not at school where you belong?!" Sam saw red and felt Darrel's arm tighten on her, his hand going to where her knife laid against her hip. Wyatt noticed the movement and curled his lip in disgust. Apparently Darrel's clothes weren't up to par with the cowboy. Sam intercepted the look and placed her hand on the one Darrel was laying on her hip. Sam felt Darrel's hand tighten and smiled in amusement. She had once told him how she ended up staying at the boarding school and, let's just say, he wasn't too thrilled. Now, it seemed as if Darrel was going to do anything to make her dad lose his cool. And she was game.

Sam felt, rather than saw, Darrel move behind her and place his other arm around her shoulders and chest, pulling her back against him, his hand still lying on her hip. Sam heard Jake growl and reached over to pull him closer to her. She smiled evilly and slipped her hand into his. Sam turned back to her dad and grinned at him.

"Well, as you can see, I got kinda lonely there and decided to come back. He," Sam pointed to Darrel, "came back with me. Problem?" Wyatt glared at her again, lost for words, when Brynna spoke up.

"You do know you look like a little slut, right?" Sam growled and tried throwing herself at her but was held back by Darrel and Jake. Her hand immediately went to the blade on her hip and she pulled it out. She had the blade aimed and almost threw it when Darrel's hand snaked out and plucked it from her hand and folded it, slipping it into his pocket. The yard was quiet and everyone was staring at Sam, trying to figure out what happened to her since she'd been gone. The grip on Sam's hand tightened and she looked over to Jake's concerned eyes. She smiled a little at him and the mischievous mustang look came back to his eyes and he grinned at her. Sam saw that Wyatt was standing in front of Brynna, as it to protect her, and Sam narrowed her eyes at him.

"She called me a slut. What are you going to do about it?" Wyatt glared at her and hissed between his teeth.

"You tried throwing a knife at her and killing her. You know what I'm going to do about that?" Sam glared at him, daring him to continue.

"I disown you. You almost tried to kill your mother who is pregnant with your second sibling when all she did was call it as we saw it. You _did_ look like a slut with both of them hanging onto you. Tell me the truth, do you have three-ways or do they take turns?" Sam drew another knife from her opposite hip and pointed it in his direction. Her voice was cold with ice dripping from it as she spoke.

"Go. Now." Wyatt smirked at her and turned to Brynna. He pulled her closer to him and moved backwards to the car. He smiled again at the possessive arms surrounding his eldest daughter and smiled again.

"Now boys, take care of your slut and don't let her get too worn out. Luke, you might want to watch your other boys around her. You never know if her pimp will set her on them." Wyatt was turning and didn't see the body coming at him.

Tackled to the ground, Wyatt was roughly turned to face Jake staring at him in the face with his shuttered eyes. His fist was drawn back when a slightly tanned hand circled his wrist.

"No Jake. He's not worth it. He will never be worth it. Let them leave." Wyatt looked above Jake's head to see Sam standing there, holding Jake's wrist to keep him from striking her father. He looked past her to see the new guy, Luke, and Luke's other sons standing in the yard. The sound of tires spinning gravel drew everyone's attention and they all looked to see Maxine step out of her car. She looked around and was surprised at the sight before her. She took in the scene with Jake and Wyatt and looked curiously up at the girl. She instantly recognized that shock of red hair and the build and squealed in delight. She momentarily forgot about her youngest son and closest neighbor as she pulled Sam in to a tight hug. Pushing her back, Maxine looked her over and nodded her head in approval.

"You look so much like your mother Sam. It's unbelievable." Sam smiled faintly at her and grinned, glad she was among friends. The sound of flesh hitting flesh broke them apart and they turned to see Wyatt holding his jaw and Jake leaning down to whisper in his ear. They heard violent whispering coming from him and Wyatt paled under his tanned skin. Jake suddenly got up, pushing on Wyatt's chest, and stalked away to the corral. He whistled for Witch and took off. Maxine looked after her son and rounded on Wyatt. She marched over to him and pushed at his chest when he stood up. She stood close and tipped her head up to look him in the eye. She noticed a stranger walk up to Sam and enfold her in his embrace, but she didn't see Sam struggling so she let it go, for now. She turned her attention back to Wyatt and poked a finger at his chest.

"Now, you're going to tell me exactly what you did or said to make my son react like that. And you better start talking now. Or else." Wyatt gulped and turned his head away, not wanting her to see the look in his eyes. He looked back at her and she flinched from the look he cast. He retold the conversation in a cold voice and left Maxine stunned as he walked back to the car and helped his wife in. He gave one last look to the crowd and spun off, spitting gravel in their wake. Maxine turned to Sam and pulled her from the guy's embrace to her own and steeled her eyes.

"Now, who are you and why are you here?"


	19. Chapter 17

_This is for you Jessi! Happy Birthday!!! I know it's short, but the next chapter will be good. ____ As always everyone, review and let me know _you're_ ideas! ___

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Darrel stared down at Maxine wide-eyed and looked to Sam for help. Sam grinned at him and turned away to talk to Quinn. She looked around and noticed Nate tacking up a black gelding and walked away, leaving Quinn to talk to air.

Nate looked up as Sam approached and grinned to himself. She got nearer to him and squealed when she was suddenly picked up by Quinn and sat atop the now-saddled horse. Nate gave the horse a slap on the rump and Sam clutched the reins, willing herself to remember how to ride.

The horse galloped away with Sam, Darrel screaming her name in the distance. Sam sighed to herself and eventually brought the horse to a calm lope. Her thighs were already screaming in agony and she sighed, again, thinking of the amount of pain she would be in once she finished her wild ride.

The horse came to a quick stop and Sam sighed in relief. She looked around and noticed another black horse standing a bit away from where she sat seated. She looked further and found Jake sitting on a boulder looking out over the _playa_, almost exactly the same position Sam was in earlier that day.

Sam quietly dismounted and winced at the searing pain shooting through her legs. She limped over to where Jake was sitting and slowly bent her knees to sit beside him. He glanced over to where she was and grinned at the sight she made.

"So Brat, a little sore?" Sam glared at his amused drawl and turned away to look at the sunset.

"Nope. Not a bit." Jake raised an eyebrow at her sarcasm and turned away, looking back over the _playa._

"So, want to tell me why you're here?" Sam sighed and looked up at him before turning away.

"Not really." Jake sighed and turned to face her.

"Sam, I just got in a fight with your dad for calling you a slut and a whore. I think the least you could do is tell me want happened to make you run back here." Sam sighed again and turned away, hoping to not have to face the painful memories. A quiet sigh met Sam's ears and she was startled when her chin was taken into Jake's hand and turned until she faced him.

"Sam?" His quiet voice shook her and she closed her eyes, momentarily reliving the events. She reached a decision and sighed once more, knowing that she would have to face it sooner or later. This was sooner. Her quiet voice rang in the clear twilight atmosphere. And she began her tale.


	20. Chapter 18

_Hiya! Here's the new chapter! ____ Read and Review!_

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Sam and Jake sat there for an hour, the latter listening as Sam retold her story. There were parts where Jake paled at the graphic descriptions and there were parts where he would hold her as she became emotional reliving her memories of Tina, Tammy, and the rest of the gang. Things became interesting when Sam started relaying the last fight with a calm voice and a blank face. Jake was worried and lightly shook Sam. She ended up turning to him and falling in his arms, sobbing beyond all control. He held her while her body trembled and the voice he knew was wrong; it was suddenly broken and gasping.

He continued holding her for a few minutes until she pulled away and jumped up, racing back to the horses and grabbed one without looking to see which one it was. She swung up in the saddle and kicked the horse into motion, trying to get as far away from Jake as she could. In truth, she was running from her memories and her past, unknowing that it would soon catch up to her.

The horse ate the distance and Sam looked down when she noticed that she was going faster than she had getting to the point where Jake was. She grimaced when she noticed that it was Jake's horse she was riding and remembered the few emails she received from her grandmother and knew that this was the man-killer, Witch. She hung on tighter and ran from the sound of Jake's voice, yelling for her to come back.

Sam continued riding for at least an hour, hoping beyond all hope to escape the stinging pain arching through her heart. It was the sound of hoof beats in the distance that sent her into another ground-eating gallop, Witch putting up with it the entire way.

She rode for a few miles and swung Witch into a cave that had a slight overhang. She dismounted and nearly stumbled from the pain in her thighs. She glared at the saddle and loosened the cinch and took the bit out of Witch's mouth. Tying the reins to a tree branch, Sam patted Witch on the neck and rubbed her hand over her muzzle, lost in her thoughts.

They stayed this way for another hour and night was soon on them. Sam looked in the saddle bags and gave Witch a peppermint and took the saddle off her back and tied her closer to the creek, not trusting her to stay ground-tied. Sam settled in for the night and fell into a restless sleep.

It was around seven o'clock the next morning when Sam woke up to something nuzzling against her cheek. She tried to bat it away, but it always came back, more persistent than the time before. She sighed and sat up, rubbing Witch on the neck. The snapping of sticks got her attention and she quickly jumped up, grabbing the saddle in the process. It was quickly thrown on Witch and the bit was slipped into her mouth. She jumped into the saddle, her tired muscles protesting the strain.

Sam walked Witch out of the overhang and gasped. Two men were on horses, coming nearer to where she was, guns visible. Sam didn't wait around to see what they wanted and quickly took off, paying no attention to the startled shouts behind her. She soon reached open ground and urged Witch to go faster, hoping it was fast enough. Five minutes into the run, Witch stumbled and Sam was thrown over her head. Rock knocked against Sam's skull…and she was out.


	21. Chapter 19

_Okay, here is the next chapter. You may thank the slave driver (aka Jessi) for this one being written. As always read and review! ____ (Slave Driver here, the next chapters will be coming faster, because she, the writer, is done with classes and I plan to enlist help from another person-Slave Driver 2. Slave driver will soon have a whip cracker. MWAHAHAHA!)_

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

The loud beeping drew Sam out of a comatose-like state. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced around. She tried talking but the words caught in her throat. A figure stirred at the edge of the bed and Sam looked towards the person. She gasped at the weary face of Jake. The sound carried in the dark room and his head shot up at the loud sound. His gaze ran over her face and a sigh of relief carried across the room.

"Hey Brat. How ya doin'?" Sam smiled at him slightly and wiggled her hand side to side.

"Okay. Not great. What am I doing here?" Jake looked at her, shocked beyond words.

"Sam, you mean you don't know why you're here?" She shook her head 'no' and tried desperately to remember what happened to bring her here. Jake looked at her expectantly, hoping that she would remember. He sighed sadly when Sam made a frustrated noise and turned her head from Jake. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed again, wishing she would remember. She turned her head back to Jake with tears in her eyes.

"Jake, I don't remember. What happened?!" He sighed and turned away from her, not wanting to meet his eyes. He regretted not being able to tell her anything, but he knew he couldn't because of the warning the doctor gave him and the rest of her family before he went into her room. He turned his head back when he felt Sam's hand tug his pony tail. He frowned at her and gently removed her hand from his hair.

"Sam, I can't tell you. The doctor warned us not to, that you needed to remember on your own. I'm sorry Brat." Sam sighed and closed her eyes, blocking out the sight of the hospital room. Jake quietly stood up and walked out of the room, warning her family of the latest development.

Darrel slipped in a few minutes later and sat down on the bed next to his best friend. He quietly whispered her name and waited until she turned her head towards him. She gave a startled gasp and her eyes widened in fear. She took in the complete stranger with the strange mark on his arm. Her gaze met his and he was shocked to see the lack of recognition.

"Sammy girl, what's wrong? You know me." Sam shook her head at him and tried to move further away. He noticed the movement and moved to sit in the chair next to her bed. He placed his face in his hands and slowly counted, hoping to wake up and find it all a dream. He felt a hand touch one of his and he jerked up, immediately going for a knife. He realized what he was doing and stopped himself before he pulled out the switchblade. He saw her startled reaction and sighed again, wishing that he wasn't in this situation. He glanced back at Sam and was about to say something in hopes of helping her to remember when the door was slammed open and Brynna stepped in. She took in the sight before her and sneered.

"So _Sammy girl_, I heard you don't have your memory. Too bad, so sad. So slut, ready to start working? Maybe mucking stalls will help you regain your memory." With that statement, she walked back out the door and slammed it shut, not caring for the other patients in the building. Sam's startled gaze flew to the stranger's face and widened when she saw the leashed fury resting in his eyes. He noticed her gaze and turned a slight smile to her.

"Sammy girl, unfortunately you just met your stepmother. If you wish, you can still stay where I'm at. I promise to not have you _mucking stalls to regain your memory._" The door slammed open halfway through his offer and both sets of eyes flew to the face filled with fury that stood in the door.

"Like hell she will."


	22. Chapter 20

_Ok, sorry for taking so long KayBee and Jess…ya know ya luv me. ____ Anyways, to the rest of you, hope you like it and review! AN: Yes, this is a filler chapter, a short one at that. My characters seemed to have ran away from me and I'm still trying to reign them, and my ideas, into an organized and manageable manner. No, it is not going great so wish me luck…and quicker updates… ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Jake stood in the doorway, eyes filled with fury. He heard the conversation between Sam and her stepmother and was livid. The suggestion that Sam could stay at her old house repeated like a bad song, running around and around in his head. He met the startled gazes settled on him and got back to the matter at hand.

"No way in _hell_ will she stay at that _witch's _house. The only way she will stay there is if I'm dead, one thing I don't plan on being for a very _very_ long time. No. Sam, you can stay at Three Ponies with me and my family. That is also where Darrel can stay if he wishes." Sam nodded her acceptance and settled her gaze back on Darrel. He let her see the relief wash over his face and she wondered at exactly what had happened while she had been in a coma…and before it. She turned back to Jake, watching the wary expression on his face. She flirted with the idea of asking what exactly happened but knew that she wouldn't get a straight answer from either of them. 'Doctor's orders' was all she would get for an explanation. She sighed and turned back to the problem at hand.

"When can I get out of here?" Darrel and Jake looked at each other before turning back to Sam, shrugging in response. She sighed again and glared at the both of them when they continued to stand there, not moving.

"Well, will _someone_ please go see when I can get out of this hell hole?" Jake smirked at her and stood against the door and shook his head at Darrel when he moved to leave.

"Nope. If she wants something, she knows what must first be said." Darrel looked at them both, confused as heck, and waited while Sam glared at Jake; who, by the way, continued to smirk at Sam. She frowned and stared belligerently back at him, not wanting to comply with his wishes. When she saw that she wouldn't get anywhere without doing so, she sighed and glared again.

"Fine. Jake, O Horse Master of Them All, may you please find the doctor and gain the knowledge of when I am to be released from the hospital?" Jake nodded imperiously and stepped away from the door, doing as Sam wished. Once he was gone, Darrel looked at Sam and raised his eyebrows at her. She glared at him, hoping he would ask so she could maim someone. Luckily, for him anyways, he didn't ask. Didn't even hint. He just stood there, smiling in amusement.

"Shut up."


	23. Chapter 21

_Okay, here is the new chapter. Sorry I haven't posted it earlier but…yea. Summer's got me hooked! So, hope you enjoy and R&R! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Sam ended up having to stay in the hospital another day and grumbled a lot over this fact. Jake and Darrel took it amusingly and turned tolerant grins to her. That night, they left her with wishes of "get well" and "see you tomorrow's". She glared at them and waved her from her room, cussing them out under her breath as they closed the door. She settled in for the night and leaned back, getting some much needed sleep.

The next morning found Sam sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed and ready to leave this "hell hole" as she dubbed it. Maxine came in with Jake and Darrel to sign her out and take her to her new house. She still didn't remember Darrel and what all had happened to bring her to the hospital, but she had an internal feeling that she could trust him.

Stepping out of the hospital, Sam ran into a very pregnant lady and looked up to see her new mother-or so she had been told.

"Hello _Samantha_. Have you remembered anything yet? Maybe who the father of your baby is?" Sam looked stunned and glanced away quickly, wondering why nobody had told her she was pregnant. She put a hand to her stomach protectively and turned back to Brynna.

"What do you mean I'm pregnant? Nobody told me I was. And what do you mean if I know who the baby's father is? I know exactly who…" Sam trailed off after seeing the smirk on Brynna's face and knew she couldn't answer that question. The thing is, she _couldn't_ remember who the father was because she couldn't remember who she had sex with. Sometimes it sucked to have amnesia. But, if amnesia meant she didn't have to know Brynna, she could live with it. Eventually.

Sam was about to say something else when heavy footsteps sounded behind her. She turned to see Jake coming after her, steam coming from his ears. She gulped and said a quiet 'uh oh' under her breath and turned pale when she saw Darrel following Jake, equally mad. She knew the cause of it, but that didn't make the situation any better. She turned back to find a smirking Brynna who gave her a cheerful wave and walked off. She stopped momentarily to throw another comment over her shoulder to Sam.

"By the way, let me know if you ever remember who the daddy is." She continued walking off, evil laughter in her wake. Sam gulped again and turned to face the angry men. She sighed when they finally reached her, each grabbing an arm and hauling her to a waiting truck. She looked up and saw Quinn sitting in the front seat. Apparently he was the driver for today. He turned a brilliant smile to them and held out his hand. She was stunned when two twenty dollar bills were placed in his hand. She turned to the two behind her and raised a single eyebrow. They sighed angrily and turned to frown at her.

"You just cost us each twenty bucks. We thought that you would be sensible and wait for us to come and get you. Quinn, however, bet us each twenty bucks that you would just walk out and wander around, trying to find your ride. He won." Sam grinned at the two and patted them on the cheek, pleased that she had ruined their bet.

"You do know, however, that I _will_ get you back for betting on me. Right?" The boys cringed and nodded their heads in acceptance. Sam turned to get into the truck and was surprised when she felt a hand on her waist, another lifting her ass, to hoist her up into the truck. She turned to see Darrel grinning below her with his hand on her ass. She frowned remembering what Brynna had said and wondered if Darrel _could be the father._ She shuddered at the thought, knowing that he would be a great dad, but not to her children, now and future. She looked for Jake and found him glaring at Darrel's hand, still lying on her ass possessively. She quickly took Darrel's hand and moved it before she sat. Jake's eyes found hers and she shivered at the blank look. She went back to the earlier conversation with Brynna, again, and started tallying up Jake for 'daddy duty.' Oh yea, she could see him as a father. But to _her_ children?

******************************************************************************

On the way home, Sam had them stop at a gas station right outside of Darton, claiming she needed to pick up something. She wanted to in by herself and everyone insisted on coming with her. She got fed up and told them the reason why they couldn't go with her. They shrank away in horror and agreed to wait in the car. She smirked and walked through the door. _Tampons work every time._

She continued grinning while walking down the aisle, until she got to the pregnancy tests. She sighed and picked up the first one she saw. She sighed again and picked up a box of tampons to lend credit to her story. She paid for the items and had it bagged in a brown paper bag. She walked back to the car and noticed the shifting of eyes. She grinned and decided to torture them some more.

"Want to see what I got so that you can pick it up for me on future runs so I don't have to go in?" She grinned evilly when she got shudders from all three men and acted like she was going to pull it out of the bag when she got shouts from them all, begging her not to. She smiled innocently and pulled out a pack of bubblegum that she also picked up.

"See. Next time we stop I need Bubble Yum, watermelon-strawberry flavored." She continued grinning when she saw them sigh with relief. She popped a piece of gum in and put it back in the bag for safe-keeping. No way was she gonna be missing any gum in the near future.

The rest of the car ride was silent. They passed Clara's and Sam looked out the window wistfully. Quinn noticed and slowed the car down to turn in. She looked over at him and smiled in thanks. He smirked at her, earning a punch in return.

Sam found a table for them while they were debating whether or not to risk the bag and snatch a piece of gum. The bag won and they walked into the diner, glum from the lack of fruity taste. She smiled at them innocently and turned back to the menu she was studying. She snapped the menu closed and looked at them expectantly.

"So, do you three know what you want to eat? I do!" They stared at her for a moment before closing their menus and placing them back in their place on the end of the table. Sam waved over the waitress and the boys placed their orders. When the waitress's attention turned to her, Sam smiled at the boys and rattled off her order. They were stunned as she ordered a large chocolate malt, a medium fry, double cheeseburger and a small house salad. The waitress walked away in a daze and Sam turned her attention back to Quinn, Darrel, and Jake who were looking at her, still speechless. Sam smiled at them and winced. She touched her jaw and found it slightly sore. She shrugged and chalked it up to smiling so much.

It took the cook about fifteen minutes before the food was finished and ready to be served. As it was placed in front of her, Sam smiled and rubbed her hands together before digging in. All stopped and watched in amazement as she started in inhale her food. She looked up from her food briefly and raised her eyebrow. They all shook their heads and turned back to their own food. Sam did the same and finished her bounty in record time. She leaned back in her seat and discretely popped the button on her pants, letting out a content sigh.

It was ten minutes later when Quinn turned into the driveway of Three Ponies Ranch. Sam stared at everything around her and surmised that nothing had changed from when she had last seen it. Well what she remembered of it anyways. She slowly climbed out of the truck and walked with the others to the house standing in the big yard. She glanced up and saw Luke and Maxine waiting for her on the deck. She slowed slightly and was pushed gently the last few steps. She turned to see Jake's hand on her back, guiding her forward. Her feet hit the deck steps and she slowly climbed them, unsure of her reception.

The hug caught Sam off-guard. She lifted her eyes to see Maxine smiling down at her. Taking her hand, Maxine led Sam into the house and into the living room where the rest of the family was sitting on every space available. Sam looked around, trying to decide where to sit. Quinn and Darrel had come in before her and were already sitting on a two-person chair on one side of the room. They noticed the dilemma and scooted over, leaving a tiny space in-between them for Sam. She smiled at them gratefully and took the offered seat, squished in-between them both. Jake glared at them and took a seat on the floor by the fireplace. Quinn grinned back at him and placed his arm around Sam, angering Jake further. Maxine and Luke looked at each other and grinned, knowing the reason for Jake's sudden mood. Nate looked around and caught the glare directed at their new male house guest and younger brother. He grinned and decided to prod Jake along further, just to see his reaction.

"So, Darrel is it? Is Sammy girl your girlfriend?" Darrel looked at him confused for a moment and caught on.

"Yea, she is. Even though she doesn't remember it." Sam looked at him confused and started to say something but caught the warning look in his eyes. She decided to go along with what he was playing at and nodded her head.

"Yea, I guess so. I mean, when I'm around him I feel as if I've known him on more, shall we say, _intimate_ terms." With that, Sam turned her head towards him and placed a light kiss on his lips. Jake's growl echoed through the room and everyone turned to see him jump up from his seat on the floor and leave the room, the slam of the door drifting back to them. Laughter flowed around the room and Luke joined in, until his gaze met his wife's. His expression quickly sobered and he turned back to his sons and guests.

"Is this true?" Sam shook her head 'no' and glanced at Darrel to see him doing the same. Quinn started laughing again and shook Darrel's hand. He glanced over to his mother and found the disapproval and distaste in her gaze. She shook her head at them and turned her attention to Sam. She cringed back in the seat when she met Maxine's eyes.

"Sam, how could you?" Sam sighed and tried to put what she was feeling into words.

"Well, Maxine, it's like this. He and Darrel placed a bet on me against Quinn and I promised them that I would get back at them for it. Jake just happened to be first in line. Don't worry. When he comes back in I'll tell him it was a joke and why it was that. Okay?" Maxine nodded and leaned back in her seat. On the other hand, Darrel and Quinn cringed and scooted as far away from Sam as possible. Sam grinned at them and balled her fist, punching both in the arm before turning back to see Maxine looking at her pleased and Luke grinning wide. The door opened again and they turned to see Jake walking back into the room. He glared at Sam and Darrel before sitting back down in his spot. True to her word, Sam slid onto the floor beside him and punched him in the arm.

"Fooled ya. Now, one down, two to go." Jake continued to look confused so she spelled out the situation. When he finally understood it, he blushed from getting so emotional and turned back to grin at the other two.

"Man, I'd hate to see what she did to you two. She got me good and she _likes_ me." Everyone laughed at that before turning the conversation to casual.

"So Sam, what _do_ you remember?" Sam started out on how she remembered everything up till her mom's funeral. She didn't remember her years at the private school and definitely didn't remember Brynna. Everyone shuddered at her name and Sam got the impression that _nobody_ liked her. Not that Sam could blame them of course. They continued talking and filled Sam in on everything that had actually happened since her mom's funeral. Darrel provided facts about school since he was the only one that went there. Unknown to everyone else, Darrel left out a few of the most important facts. Like Sam being in a gang and runner up to being the 'female pack leader'. Deciding to keep this to himself until he could talk to the rest of the gang and then Sam in private, he detailed her school life, work life, and described her friends, just not exactly _how_ she knew them.

Jake got the feeling Darrel was keeping things from not only Sam, but the rest of the family. He went to question him further but decided not to, unsure of whether or not he really wanted the answer. However, he did keep a close watch on Darrel and tried to look for signs of what the secrets he was harboring were. He saw glimpses of emotions when he talked about Sam's friends but Jake couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Deciding to wait, Jake settled back and crossed his arms, blanking his expression to everyone.

It was an hour later when Sam's stomach made its demands known. The family laughed as Maxine got up from her seat and headed into the question to start supper. Soon, the smells of tacos, salsa, and refried beans drifted into the living room. Sam got up from the couch and wandered into the kitchen, planning on offering her services to Maxine, who in turn placed a stack of plates in her hands, silverware and napkins on the top plate. Sam quickly set the table and returned to the kitchen, receiving stacks of cups for her trouble. She continued to set the table and placed the food and drinks that she got from Maxine on it. The sound of a triangle ringing made Sam look up and she saw the sheepish grin on Maxine's face.

"What? It's the only way anyone around here can hear me call them to food. You might want to watch out for the stampede right, about, NOW!" Maxine moved to beside the wall and pulled Sam with her. Sam watched in fascination as men of all ages, sizes, and well, she could say height but that wouldn't really make much of a difference because they were all _so freaking tall!_ Sam looked at Maxine and saw the amusement in her face.

"Told you so. We better sit down and dig in before it's all gone." Sam looked incredulous and Maxine grinned before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the table, pushing her down in the available seat between Jake and Nate before taking her own place at the opposite end of the table from her husband. She took Maxine's advice and dug into the food. Half an hour later proved Maxine right, there wasn't anything left on the table.

Sam watched amazed as Luke and the boys got up from the table and started taking plates, silverware, and cups into the kitchen. Maxine met Sam's gaze and smiled widely.

"You see Sam, I have them trained well. They know that if they want food, they have to somehow help with supper. Since I won't let them help while I'm cooking, they clean up. Good deal eh?" Sam grinned and leaned back, enjoying the thought of not having kitchen duty. Her thoughts quickly turned to the bag still in the truck. She hit her head with her hand, immediately putting both to her head to ward off the headache. Maxine looked at her in confusion, but Sam just shook her head, explaining that she forgot to get something. Maxine nodded her head and got up from the table and went into the living room to watch tv. Sam got up from the table and quickly headed outside to get the dreaded brown paper bag. She looked in it and sighed in relief, seeing the pregnancy test, gum, and tampons still in it. She grabbed it and headed back inside. She found Maxine and asked her where her room was, found out it was Kit's old room, and headed up the stairs to the 'guy wing'. She pulled the door shut and was surprised to see her bags already in it. She shrugged and grabbed the test out of the bag before hurrying down the hall to the bathroom. She closed and locked the door before pulling the test out and reading the directions. She carefully did the procedure and took it back with her to her room, making sure she didn't leave anything behind.

Sam laid the test on the desk and paced back in forth. A minute into the pacing, Sam's bags caught her attention again. She stopped and went down to her knees, pulling the closest bag to her. Opening it up, Sam found a bunch of notebooks, a schedule, and a few books. She looked through the things for a moment before closing it and opening the one next to it. She began to pull out a few items when the timer on her phone caught her attention. Sam scrambled up from her perch and grabbed the little stick, sighing in relief when she saw the words clearly printed, 'not pregnant'. She placed the stick back into the box and threw it into the trashcan, not worried about it anymore.

Sam turned back to the bag she started to investigate and stopped when a digital camera wrapped in a blood red bandana with black roses. Curious, Sam turned on the camera and waited for the pictures to load up. On it, she saw pictures of her, Darrel, and a girl and boy that she must have known. In the picture they were all dressed similar. They were all wearing red t-shirts and black pants, the bandana wrapped around the girls' necks and the guys' heads. Even more, the picture was taken in front of a warehouse, a painted on black rose in the background with dripping 'tears'. She continued flicking through the pictures, each one with the red bandana involved and different people posing, dressed alike. Getting a bad feeling, Sam flicked to the last picture and froze at the sight. In the picture was a sign, spray painted red with the same black rose, a knife dripping black blood from its blade. Under the rose were the words 'Black Rose Gang. Best at what we do.' The camera fell to the ground with a thud as Sam pulled the bandana closer and her attention was caught by the shine cast from a metal object. Heart in her throat, Sam pulled a switchblade from her bag and let it drop when she saw the design, on it was the emblem of the Black Rose Gang with the word 'beta' etched into the other side.

Turning back to the bag, Sam pulled a diary from it and flipped to the last entry. She found it splattered with drops of blood and the chilling words.

_One of my best friends was killed this night in a gang fight, trying to save me. She was the leader of the Black Rose Gang, the gang I am now second-in-command to. Tina, my true best friend, now leads the female pack while Darrel, god he's a trip, commands the male pack. I am beta. This is my life. From these words, anyone who reads is witness, I _will_ revenge Tina. I _will_ avenge Josh. I _will_ take out Blake, leader of my rival gang, the Blue Bloods. This is my vow and I stand by it. Those who cross me will know me. I am beta and I will protect my alpha. Both of them. _


	24. Chapter 22

_Okay, seems as how it's been brought to my attention that I've been a little _late_ with the updates recently, here is another chapter! Hope you enjoy. ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

A cough from the doorway brought Sam's head jerking around, the journal slamming shut. She looked up to see Jake sauntering in the room, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He stopped beside the desk and saw a box sticking out of the wastebasket. He went to pick it up but stopped when he saw the things scattered around Sam. He looked closer at the bandana and went white beneath his tan. Moving angrily, he slammed the door shut and turned, storming back to Sam. He yanked the bandana from the ground and found the knife rolled up in it. Stomach dropping, he read the inscription on the blade, fearing what he knew was true. Sam watched, fascinated by the emotions that she saw running across his face. Her breath froze in her lungs when his gaze settled on hers.

"You're a Black Rose." That simple statement broke Sam and she ran from the room, leaving everything behind except for the bandana she snatched out of his hand. She ran down the hall, not stopping or seeing where she was going. Next thing she knew, she was in the living room and out the door, stopping at the sun porch. A muttered curse sounded beside her and she looked to see Quinn sitting there, hand against his heart and face in shock.

"Sam! What the _hell_ is wrong with you?! Did you get bad news or something?" Sam shook her head then nodded, unsure of what she was feeling. Quinn sighed and scooted over, patting the seat beside her, silently telling her to sit down. She did and that's when Quinn got a look at what she was carrying. He carefully pulled it from her hands and inspected it, seeing it for what it was. He turned back to Sam, unsure if she knew what it was or not. Seeing her frightened expression, he sighed, knowing she knew.

"Sam, where did you find this?" Sam took a deep breath before turning to him and looking him in the eye.

"It was in my bag. Along with a bunch of other stuff. Quinn, I'm part of a gang. Not just a part of it. I'm the beta of the female pack. Dammit! Darrel's the leader of the male pack! What happened before I fell? Was I violent, did I carry? What?!" Quinn sighed, unsure of how to tell her what he knew. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Sam.

"Sam, you weren't violent when you came back. Much. You were just more aware of your surroundings and had a toughness about you that said 'back off'. As far as I know, you didn't carry but you did have a pocket knife that you almost used against Brynna. After what I heard at the diner, you two didn't get along. At all. When she came over here with your father, she said something to piss you off and you almost attacked her before Darrel pulled you back. I remember when you punched me at the diner and threatened to hurt me if I disrespected Darrel again. You were tough Sammy." She sighed, trying to process it all. The door creaked open and they turned to see Jake standing in the doorway, the camera, diary, and knife clutched in his hand. He was pale and looked disbelievingly towards Sam. Only one word came out of his mouth.

"Why?" Sam sighed and ran her hand through her hair, unsure of what she should say. Sighing again, she looked up to find Jake sitting across from her in one of the chairs, the 'evidence' laid in front of them on the table. Picking up the knife, Sam flicked it open and shut, absently twirling it in her hand as she tried to remember things and process the fact that Jake and Quinn knew what the bandana represented. The boys, however, looked shocked and a bit impressed at the knife skill Sam was exhibiting, even if she was unaware of what she was doing.

The movement of the knife stopped when Sam looked up at both of them.

"I don't know. It's probably written in my diary, which I'm sure you have skimmed by now, why I joined and everything I did once inducted. I know I have pictures of my friends, _my gang_, in the camera along with the logo of the Black Roses." At that, Quinn quickly picked up the camera and turned it on, looking through her pics. When he got to the one of Tammy, he paused and turned to Sam, holding it up for her inspection. She glanced at it and shrugged.

"Sorry Quinn, I don't know who she is. Darrel can probably tell you." A quiet voice from the door shocked them and they turned to see Darrel leaning against the door, a pained expression on his face.

"Her name's Tammy. Sam, she was your best friend. She was the one who introduced you to the gang. Your family. She is, as you've probably guessed, leader of the female pack of the Black Roses. You're her beta. You're the one she trusts to have at her back." The room was quiet as each processed what Darrel just revealed. Feeling calmer, Sam went through each picture, allowing Darrel to reintroduce her gang to her and give interesting tidbits about each. When they came to a picture of Sam, Tammy, and another girl, Darrel took a deep breath before beginning.

"Her name was Tina. She was the previous leader of the female pack. Sam, she died in a fight between the Black Roses and the Blue Bloods. They challenged you and you took it up. At the fight, you were about to be killed. She jumped in front of you, pushing you out of the way, to save you. She took the fatal hit. After that, sirens were heard and we all scrammed, Josh-the previous leader of the male pack-taking the blame and allowing us-me and you- to escape. The rest of the gang covered for us. He handed the role of leader over to me, charging me with protecting you while my beta deals with the gang." Sam tried to control the tears coming from her eyes but couldn't and turned to bury her head in Quinn's shoulder, sobbing for the woman she never remembered meeting. No one noticed Maxine standing in the doorway, hearing all of what happened in Sam's life. She turned away, pained for the lost girl, and left before she was discovered. Later that night, she would confront the boys and tell Luke about what she had found out.

The four stayed on the sun porch for another hour, going through pictures and Darrel telling stories. As each story progressed, Sam became more focused and started filling in Darrel's breaks, sometimes asking questions about certain events. She was starting to remember some things.

They broke apart when Maxine called out, telling them that supper was finished. Sam stood and slipped the knife in her left front pocket while tying the bandana around a belt loop at her hip. She grabbed the camera and started moving to the door, finally noticing everyone just staring at her. She frowned at them in bewilderment.

"Aren't you guys coming to eat? What's wrong with you three?" Darrel shook his head and stood up, trying to decide how to explain to Sam that she did the same thing with her knife and bandana as she did every time she used to wear it. He finally shook his head, deciding not to pursue it and followed her and the others into the dining room. Supper was…lively…as Quinn teased Sam and she teased back, unaware of everyone exchanging looks when they noticed her bandana tied to her hip. When Bryan went to mention it, he was cut off by Maxine, her asking if everyone was finished while giving him _the eye._ He made the smart move and decided to wait until later, knowing he would find out soon enough. As Maxine was taking the plates into the kitchen, Jake suddenly remembered something and turned to Sam, wanting to see her reaction.

"Sam, what was that box doing in your trashcan?"


	25. Chapter 23

_I'm sooo sorry for not updating sooner. Life got away from me and I kept forgetting I even started a story. So, without further ado, here is chapter 23._

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Movement stopped as eyes turned to stare at Sam. The glass she had carried to her lips was set back down on the table and she turned to stare at Jake.

"What do you mean what was a box doing in my trashcan? What I want to know is why you know what _is_ in my trashcan. Do you just invade my privacy for the fun of it or what?" Jake blushed and then shook his head, wanting to know the answer to his question.

"No Sam, I didn't invade your privacy. Not on purpose. I just glanced at it when I walked in earlier to see you looking through your pictures. Now, what was that box?" Before Sam could answer, Maxine spoke up, her voice carrying in the room.

"Jake, for one, what business is it of yours? Two, just what box are you talking about?" Jake blushed again as he mumbled something only Quinn happened to hear. He yelped in surprise and turned to look at Sam.

"Sam! You're pregnant?!" Heads turned and jaws dropped as Jake rubbed the back of his neck and Sam glared at everyone, embarrassment and anger warring inside of her. She slowly stood up from the table and looked around, staring everyone in the eye. Darrel looked smug, knowing how she would react to the invasion of her privacy and the question asked. When Sam's eyes reached his, he gave a subtle wink and smiled at her, waiting for the explosion. He didn't have to wait long. When the storm hit, it was quiet and deadly.

"Listen fools. I am _not_, nor have I _ever_ been pregnant. If one would just think to ask me instead of assuming anything, I would have told you. Maxine, supper was nice, but do you think I could be excused? I'm late for a date with my baby's future daddy." Maxine nodded, glaring at her foolhardy sons and nodded for Darrel to leave with Sam. Once the two left, an icy cold glare landed on the idiotic sons.

"Do you _ever_ think?! I'm surprised you're still breathing after that. Sam should have hit each and every one of you. And I wouldn't have stopped her." Her gaze landed heavily on Jake.

"And you! What were you thinking of invading her privacy, nevertheless asking about it in front of the entire family? Since when has the smartest kid I've ever gave birth to turned dumb?! Now get your tail out of here and find her. Apologize to her and ask for her forgiveness. And Jake, if I were you, I would not give Darrel another chance to comfort and calm Sam. That is, if you want to keep her and not lose her." Jake paled and hurried after Sam, intent on begging her for forgiveness if necessary.

Jake finally found Sam sitting, curled up in Darrel's arms, on the screened in porch. Her head briefly turned to see who it was. Seeing him, she turned back around and snuggled deeper in Darrel's arms, looking at pictures with him. Darrel looked up to see Jake staring at him, hatred deep in his eyes. The smug look returned, accompanied by a possessive tightening on Sam's waist. Jake continued to glare at the hand on Sam's hip until Darrel sighed, giving in to the silent demand. He slowly removed his arm from Sam's waist and stood up, stretching as he did so. He leaned back down to give Sam a quick peck on her cheek, knowing it would irritate Jake, before leaving. He brushed up against Jake on his way out the door and silently closed it, giving the two some privacy.

Jake sighed before sitting down in the seat Darrel had left, intent on getting back in Sam's good graces. She continued to look at the pictures, not even acknowledging the man beside her. Jake blew a hard breath again, looking for a way to apologize. Turning to Sam, he placed a hand on her arm, getting her attention.

"What do you want Jacob? To invade my privacy more or demand to know who the father of my baby is?" Jake sighed again before rubbing the back of his neck in irritation.

"Neither Sam. I just wanted to apologize for hurting you and invading your privacy. It wasn't right and I should not have done it. I'm sorry." Sam sighed before nodding her head, knowing what he said would be the truth. After all, he never lied to her before so why start now? Blowing out a breath of relief, Jake sat back again and took his hand off of Sam's arm, leaning into her to see what she was looking at. He found a picture of Louise, Sam's late mom, staring back at him. He glanced down at Sam to see the slight tear tracks on her face. Jake pulled Sam beneath her arm and debated on whether or not to tell Sam the truth about Brynna. Deciding that she needed at least that, he quietly began his story.


	26. Chapter 24

_Okay. I'm late. Again. Sorry about that!!! Here's the next chapter to make up for it!!! And, sorry it's so short. Don't kill me. Please? Don't forget to review and let me know what you think of it please! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

Jake cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, clearly trying to delay the conversation. Sam started tapping her foot, frustrated that Jake wouldn't begin his story. Glaring, she began to tap her foot harder. Jake rolled his eyes at her and settled in to begin his story.

"As you know Sam, your dad married Brynna quickly, not really even dating her. The news of their engagement shocked the entire town, my mom and your grandmother especially. As you also know, my mom and your mom were friends in high school. Well, Brynna went to that school too." Jake stopped talking, uncomfortable with the conversation. Raising her eyebrow at him, Sam urged him to continue his tale. Blaring at her, he did so.

"From what I've heard, Brynna was jealous of your mom and Wyatt dating. According to my mom, Brynna tried to break them up constantly. Because you're here, you can see that that didn't work out too well. As far as I know, nobody had seen her since high school. So, as you can imagine, it was a shock to your dad when we went to Willow Springs to check out wild horses. And yes, she still works there even though your dad doesn't like the BLM offices. Anyways, she and your dad met and he remembered her from high school. He tried to stay away from her and succeeded until that one night." Again, Jake paused and tried to decide the best way to tell Sam the situation. He glanced at her to gauge her reactions so far and was startled at the blank look on her face. His gaze slid away and with it, his resolve to 'fancy up' his words.

"To say the least Sam, your dad got drunk at a bar in town and Brynna was in the bar also. Word is, Brynna looked like your mom that night and Wyatt slept with her. She ended up getting pregnant and told your dad. Both you and I, apparently her also, knows how honorable your dad is. So, he did the _right thing_ and married her." Jake kept silent, waiting for Sam to process what he'd just said. When he saw her narrow her eyes in confusion, he waited for the questions he knew would be coming. Instead of the questions however, her eyes narrowed further, anger and colness filling them. Her hand slipped to her pocket, closing around the switchblade. A single word hissed through her teeth, venom coating the word.

"Bitch."


	27. Chapter 25

_And here is the next chapter to our little soap opera. Have fun and review! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

Jake was stunned as he looked at Sam, trying to decide when she was going to ask him the important question. After a few minutes of deep breathing, Sam looked back to Jake and couldn't help but grin at the look on his face.

"Relax _Jacob._ I'm not going to bite you. Yet." Glaring at her amused expression, Jake folded his arms across his chest, leaning further back. Raising his eyebrow at her, he continued to wait her out. Sam closed her eyes with a sigh. She knew she'd have to ask Jake to finish the rest of the story if she wanted all of the answers, knowing he wouldn't do it without a request.

"Okay Jake. If he hates her, why is he sticking up for _her_ and not _me,_ his daughter?" Jake closed his eyes, not wanting to see the pain in Sam's eyes as he finished his tale.

"He fell in love with her Sam. She's been feeding him bits and pieces of lies that she's constructed to keep you apart from your dad. You not calling for the birth of your step-brother was the last straw." Tears filled her eyes as Jake continued, his voice a mere buzz in the background.

Jake noticed that Sam had dazed out and stopped talking. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently shook her to get her out of her stupor. Sam's eyes snapped to his, tears leaking from the corners. Groaning, Jake pulled Sam into his arms and rocked her gently, trying to stop her tears.

After a while, Sam sniffled and pulled away from Jake, turning so he couldn't see her face. The pair sat quietly, gazing out at the horizon and watched as the sun disappeared and stars took its place. Footsteps behind them broke the silence and they turned to see Bryan and Darrel heading their way with Quinn trailing behind them. They stopped when they reached the two and sat down around them. Bryan reached out to touch the bandana tied around her hip and looked up to Sam.

"Why Sammy? Why did you join that gang? They're full of punks and whores, trying to be tough in front of their friends. Is that what you've become?" Because Darrel didn't have his bandana showing, Bryan didn't expect to have a blade held to his neck. Turning away from Sam, Bryan looked to Darrel, eying the knife warily. His eyes widened when Darrel withdrew the Black Rose bandana he had tucked in his back pocket. Another knife touched Bryan between the legs of his pants and his eyes went back to Sam's. He swallowed hard at the look in her eyes and looked to Jake and Quinn for help. Not finding anything but anger in their gazes, his eyes went back to Sam's, begging for mercy. She slowly leaned back, taking the knife with her. Meeting Darrel's gaze, she nodded her head at him. To Bryan's relief, Darrel pulled the blade away, shutting it with an expert flick of his thumb.

"Bryan, as you've noticed, I don't think that you want to be saying anything against me or my gang again. Understand? You've just insulted the leader of the male division of the Black Roses and me, the beta leader of the female division of the Black Roses. Want to rephrase your question?" Bryan stepped back from the two, disbelief in his eyes. Narrowing them further at her, he shook his head.

"I want proof. Now." Narrowing her eyes further, Sam pulled the switchblade back out of her pocket and showed him the inscription on the handle. He looked at it and shrugged, still not convinced. Growling silently, Sam took out her cell phone and scrolled to one of the numbers in it, remembering it from Darrel pointing it out when they were looking at pictures. Turning it to speaker phone, she hit the button to call her best friend.

"Hey Tammy!" Sam and the others covered their ears at the screaming coming from the phone. Laughing, Sam broke in on the middle of Tammy's exclamations.

"Yea girl. I know it's been awhile. I kinda lost my memory after a fall and, to tell you the truth, I still don't have it. I only know about the gang because Darrel is here with me." More screams filled the speakers as Tammy also turned her phone to speaker phone. Yells of 'Sammy girl' 'baby doll' and 'Darrel' filled the air as Sam and Darrel laughed.

"Hey guys! Anyways, I need a favor from you all. You see, where I'm staying now-" Sam was interrupted with questions of 'where' and 'who'. Fed up with the lack of conversation, Darrel took over.

"Listen up my little hens! One of the peeps here doesn't understand Sammy girl's standing in our little group. Mind telling this small-minded hick what she is to us?" If one hadn't noticed, Darrel was still pissed over the earlier comments from Bryan. Everyone noticed the street coming out in his speech and reacted correctly to it. A male's voice broke through the ruckus on the other end, which was quickly silenced by him.

"Alright asshole. If ya don't wanna believe our girl, I'll tell it to you straight. Lady Love Sam is our beta. Tammy is alpha. They rule us. No offense Darrel. If you need more convincing, wait a few days and you'll get it." Sam gasped as Darrel snatched the phone and silenced the speaker, talking with the guy on the other end. She looked to Quinn, Bryan, and Jake to see what their responses were to the comments made by the guy on the phone. She found a smugging Quinn, slightly scared Bryan, and a pissed off Jake. Before she could question what his problem was, the closing of her phone snagged her attention. Turning to Darrel, she noticed the whiteness in his face and became alarmed. Going closer to him, she was surprised when she was forcefully pulled into a hug and wasn't allowed to leave, no matter the struggles. Giving up, she turned her face up to Darrel.

"What's up Dare?" He released the air he had been holding and pulled her into a tighter hug. She started to say something about it when she heard him begin to talk.

"Sam, Blake is on the run. Last heard, he's coming this way. Our kin is heading down here in a few days. Sam, the juvie cop heard his rants. He's after blood. And it's yours."


	28. Chapter 26

_So, this was written from a request from my astronomy partner-who I had to pull out of bed at around eleven o'clock-to look at stars with me. Had to find some way to motivate her. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy, only a few more to go! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Jake looked stricken as he gazed in bewilderment at Darrel and Sam. Darrel still held Sam in his arms and was rocking her back and forth, trying to sooth her. A cough broken through the night and everyone turned to see Maxine and Luke standing behind them, worry darkening their eyes.

"What's going on? Sam, what did he mean by he's after your blood? Who? Why?" Quinn sighed and scooted over, motioning for his parents to take a seat. Sam sighed also and pulled away from Darrel, not wanting to have this conversation, but knew she couldn't put it off for long. Looking down, she turned away from the adults and looked to the sky, seeking the answers she needed to get through the next few days.

"Maxine, Luke, I'm in a gang, the Black Roses. Recently-actually the reason why I came here-I was in a fight that ended with the death of a few members on both sides of the fight. Most important was the brother of the rival gang. You see, Blake-the leader of the Blue Bloods-was aiming for me, but ended up hitting the leader of the female division of our gang, Tina. Right before that, however, she took out Blake's brother. He blames me for his death." Sam stopped to turn and look at their faces, trying to read their reactions. Shock was visible on Maxine's face while Luke held a practiced blank look.

"Let me get this straight Sam. You're in a gang, was in a fight, and then came running out here to escape from the consequences? This doesn't make sense." Sam sighed again and looked to Darrel for help. Seeing the distress in her eyes, he took up the story.

"You see, because Sam lost her memory, she doesn't remember anything of that night or of being in the gang period. She only knows what she knows because of me, pictures, and the bandana and knife she carries with her everywhere. No, she wasn't running from the consequences. She was running for her life. And, before you ask, I'm the leader of the male division of the Black Roses. This is why I know so much of what happened that night." Maxine sighed again and looked to Luke for direction. He shook his head and got up, wandering a few feet away from them.

"I don't know what to tell you Sam except that you have family here and I hope you regain your memory soon." With that, he turned and took Maxine's hand, leading her back into the house. Sam sighed and turned from the couple, looking up to find Jake's concerned eyes gazing back at her. Walking closer to where she was, he stopped and raised a hand to cup her cheek.

"Are you okay Sam? You do know that I'll be there to fight with you no matter what, right?" Sam sighed and leaned into his hand, unconsciously nuzzling it a little. He laughed and stroked her cheek with his thumb, happy to see her at peace for the moment. A cough and snickers broke them apart. Sam blushed, quickly turning her face from Jake's hand and headed to the house, throwing a 'night' and slight finger wave to the boys still standing where she left them.

Sam quietly shut the door to the room she was staying in and leaned against, breathing out a sigh of relief. Sure, she loved them but she also knew that they were way too over-protective. Thinking back to the conversation she had with the other members of her gang she chuckled in amusement. For some reason, she knew that they would be just as protective, if not more so, that Jake and his brothers. Thinking of this, Sam groaned and fell into her bed, ready to put the day behind her.

Dawn chirped its arrival bright and early. Sam groaned and pulled a pillow over her head, mentally beating the rooster with a broom. Stupid thing. She had just fallen asleep when someone started tapping on her door. She pulled the pillow tighter over her head, hoping to drown out the noise. When that didn't work, she tried ignoring them, hoping they would go away. After a few more impatient taps, she growled and flung the pillow that had been covering her head at the door, momentarily frightening the person on the other side of the door. Speaking of which, said door opened to reveal a grinning and too-bright Darrel, holding a mug of hot chocolate.

"Sammy! Wakey wakey time! I've got your favorite morning treat and it just so happens that it has your name on it if you can get out of bed before I drink it. One, two…" Darrel was cut off as Sam lunged from the bed, making a head-first dive for the chocolate bliss. Moaning, she sniffed the aroma coming from the cup and brought it to her lips. A sigh filled the room as the chocolate woke her up, making her a much enjoyable person to be around.

"Might wanna watch it Sammy girl. You're starting to give me ideas." Instead of replying, Sam took the forgotten pillow on the floor and swung it at Darrel, catching him in the side of the head. Rubbing it, he glared at her and stomped from the room, muttering about inconsiderate females on their periods. Another pillow found its way into the hall and met Darrel's head. Turning around, he glared at Sam who stood in the doorway with her eyebrow raised.

"Might wanna watch it Darrel. That smart mouth is gonna get you hurt one of these days." Sam turned from a sulking Darrel and moved into her room to get dressed. Just as she was finished pulling her hair into a semi-neat ponytail, her cell phone began to vibrate against the end table. Glancing at the caller id, she frowned in confusion at the number. Answering it, she found only bad news. Apparently, the gang was coming down today and would be in before three o'clock. News on the street was that Blake was in Darton. And knew where she was.


	29. Chapter 27

_And so, here is the next to last chapter! Might do an epilogue, depends on what you guys want. So, have fun and review!!! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Sam turned to Darrel, letting him see the fear in her eyes. Cussing silently, he grabbed the phone from her and looked at the recent calls. Seeing Tammy's number, he looked up at Sam and cocked his head to the side.

"Sam, it was just Tammy. What is it that makes you scared?" Slowly sinking to the bed, she patted the space beside her, silently telling Darrel to sit.

"Darrel, she called to let me know that they would be in at 3 today. Blake's surfaced in Darton. Apparently, he also knows where I'm at. What are we going to do?! I don't even remember the guy, much less how to fight! He's going to kill me!!!" The two were so immersed in their thoughts that the voice coming from the doorway startled them.

"No, Sam. He won't. No way in hell am I letting that happen to you." Sam glanced up to see Jake and Quinn filling the doorway.

"Oh really Jake? Just _how_ are you going to stop them? You shouldn't even be involved in this fight. It doesn't concern you." Darrel cleared his throat at the look on Jake's face and motioned for Quinn to follow him.

Jake turned to look at Sam as the door shut. Slowly, he walked towards her and stopped right before he stepped on her toes. His voice was quiet and deadly calm.

"Exactly what do you mean that this fight doesn't concern me? Dammit Sam! Haven't you figured it out yet you stubborn fool?! I love you!" His last words ended in a shout. Surprise and shock flickered through her eyes before she turned and ran out the door.

Darrel and Quinn fell back from the door as she darted past them. They cautiously peaked into the room and saw Jake sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. Darrel took one quick look at him and turned, racing to find Sam, while Quinn slowly approached Jake and sat beside him on the bed.

"What happened man? I thought that the troubles would end when you told her that you loved her." Jake looked up and glared at Quinn.

"Were you listening at the door?" Quinn mentally slapped himself in the head and held his hands out in front of him.

"Jake, man, whether I was listening or not isn't important. What's important is the fact that Sam didn't react the way we thought she would. That tells you something's wrong, right?" Jake glanced away, not bothering to answer Quinn.

"Jake! Sam's gone!!" Both boys looked up to see Maxine in the doorway, Darrel right behind them on a cell phone. Clicking it shut, he turned his pale face to the rest of the group.

"That was Blake. He's got Sam. I'm about to call the rest of the gang. Hopefully, they can be here in less than an hour. Jake, you _have_ to get it together. We need to leave NOW and start searching for her. No telling what Blake will do now that he has her. Point is, we need to get her away from him. Immediately."

A few calls later found Jake and Quinn on a horse running flat out to the range. Both had a gun strapped to their hip and walkie-talkies. Darrel was waiting for the rest to get to the ranch before they headed out. After calling to report Sam missing, he found out that classes were cancelled for the day and they were only fifteen minutes away from Darton. Another fifteen would get them to the ranch. Maxine could be seen standing on the porch, making phone calls to the police and to Luke. As she was making the call to Sam's grandmother, the screeching of car tires caught her attention.

A mustang quickly pulled in followed by an S-10 truck when a crackle came from the walkie talkie attached to Darrel's hip. He quickly picked it up and spoke into it, half fearing what he would hear. Jake's voice came through the speaker and the crowd gathered around Darrel quieted.

"Darrel, we found her. She's tied up in a broken down shack on the outskirts of War Drum Flats. Get here and get here fast. There's more than just one guy here. Let's count about twenty. Hope that gang of yours gets in soon. Quinn's riding back to lead you guys up here. Saddle up horses and be quiet about it. I have a bad feeling."


	30. Chapter 28End

_And, da da da dah!!!! The final chapter…unless you want an epilogue. So, hope you like and let me know what ya think! ___

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

The walkie talkie clicked off and Darell turned to see Maxine standing on the porch, hand covering her mouth. Movement from his left caught his attention and he turned to see Tammy heading towards the horses. He ran to catch up with her and grabbed her arm only for her to stiffen her back and turn to him.

"Don't try it Darrel. Sam is my best friend and I'm not sitting around just to appease you. Now, I'm gonna get a horse and saddle up before this Quinn guy gets back. Now, are you going to get your ass in gear or what?" Darrel took his hand away and watched her select a horse calmly from the group at the gate. This, to him, was odd. Normally she would be in a rush and running around, not caring about being calm. This was a side of her that he hadn't seen before. She turned to find him looking at her in shock.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Darrel shook his head at her and turned to the rest of the gang.

"You heard her. Get a horse and saddle up. It's time to rescue our Sammy." Everyone moved to do as he suggested as they heard hoof beats bearing down on them. They turned to see Quinn riding like the devil was chasing him and hurried to finish tacking up. Quinn dismounted to help some tack up and then quickly mounted again, ready to be off.

They rode hard to the site where Jake was waiting for them and pulled up short when no one was there. Quinn scanned the ground, looking for clues while Darrel gazed off at the shack where Sam was being held hostage.

"She's sitting over at the right. They have her legs and wrists tied with a rope and a gag in her mouth. Not really into tying ropes are they? With some quiet struggling she should be able to slip them." Darrel slightly jumped and turned to see Jake beside him on his horse, looking in the direction where Sam was.

"Dude! How did you do that?" Jake didn't bother to look at him and continued keeping watch for anyone that could spot them. He heard a smack and an angrily whispered 'ow' come from behind him. He slightly smiled, but dropped the grin when movement caught his attention. Sam was waking up.

Apparently, Jake wasn't the only one to realize this because one of the people, from the looks of it the leader, came forward and backhanded her. He growled in anger but kept himself in check. He turned to notify the rest of the group and saw the look on Darrel's face. At that moment, he knew that nothing about Darrel was playful and that it was just a ploy to make everyone around him relax. He motioned towards the shack with a nod of his head and quickly turned back when a slight scream caught his attention. Sam was surrounded by the group. He made a quick decision and turned to let everyone else know.

"I don't know about you, but it's time. I'm going in and either you're with me or you're not. The choice is yours." Jake dismounted and started forward only to feel something being pressed into his hand. He looked down to see a knife and recognized it as one like Sam's. He turned to meet Tammy's eyes and nodded his thanks. She gave a slight smile back and turned to everyone else.

"Listen up people. Everyone is to be taken out. I don't care how. One thing, Blake is mine. Anyone who touches him answers to…" Tammy was stopped when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to meet Jake's eyes and saw the determination in them.

"No Tammy, he's mine." She nodded in acceptance and turned back to the gang. A slight signal had them pulling out bandanas and tying them to a part of their body where they could be easily seen. Quinn and Jake were surprised when Darrel turned to hand them each one.

"Put it on. If they think you're part of us, you have a better chance of winning." They nodded their thanks and tied them to their thigh. Guns were checked and bullets were passed into chambers. In turn, each nodded their head, signaling they were ready. Tammy was the last and turned.

"Ladies and gents, it's time."

They silently crept up to the house. On their way, a couple guards were taken out quietly and effectively. Jake kept to the front where he could easily see Sam and Blake. He growled at the names Blake was calling Sam. Glancing to her face, he was proud at the bored look and determination he could read in her eyes and posture. A twig cracking made him spin and he punched someone in the nose, making them reel back. He followed it with a blow to the head which knocked the guy out. He turned to see Darrel looking at him and nodded his head. They continued on their way and slowly crept into the house, some staying outside to take care of the ones who would flee.

Standing up from her crouched position, Tammy walked to the center of the room and cocked her gun, making everyone stand still.

"All right asshole and morons alike, let her go. Now." Blake slowly turned to her, a grin creeping onto his face.

"Or what little girl? I don't think you can beat all of us." At that time, Jake, Darrel, and a few others rounded the corner, guns cocked and leveled on the ones surrounding Sam.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The rest of the gang decided to join us did they. And look, two new additions. Fresh meat tastes better grilled doesn't it?" The cocking of more guns filled the air and they slowly turned and put their backs to each other. They were surrounded. Sam whimpered and Jake's gaze flew to hers, seeking to give her reassurance. She nodded her head at him and started to struggle, taking Blake's attention away from her gang.

"No no! I don't think so Sam. This time, you're going to get _exactly_ what you deserve." A shot was fired and Blake whipped around to see his second-in-charge on the ground, blood coming from the hole in his chest, pink and bubbling.

"I just shot at his lung Blake. Maybe he'll make it, maybe he won't. I'll repeat, let Sam go." Blake lunged at Tammy only to be tripped by the leg Sam kicked out at him. She was free. She rolled to a crouch and pulled her knife from her pocket. All hell broke loose. She ran to help her people out and was swiped by a blade on the way. She hissed in pain and turned to stab the one who got her. Two down, more to go. Blades were flashing everywhere and guns were firing left and right. No one knew who was hit on their side of the fight and everyone was bleeding.

Jake looked around to spot Sam when laughter caught his attention. He stopped and saw a struggling Sam being held by Blake, a knife at her throat. Her eyes met his and he could see the fear in them. Jake lowered the gun in his hand to where the bead was in the middle of Blake's forehead. Blake tightened her grip on Sam, causing her to cry out. Her cry was heard by all and the fray paused. Tammy screamed and Darrel held her back from running at Blake. She struggled against him, kicking and raking her nails against his arms. He held on and kept his gaze on Jake.

"Let her go. Is she worth your life?" Blake continued laughing and suddenly stopped, a sneer coming over his face.

"What life? She caused my brother to be killed. The only family I had left. The way I see it, you can shoot me and I'll die, but I'm taking her with." Tammy cried out, fighting harder to get away from Darrel. Jake met Sam's eyes and she nodded. She suddenly dropped her weight and, at the same time, Jake pulled the trigger. Blood splattered the walls as the bullet met Blake's head. Jake dropped the gun and race to Sam. They met in the middle and pulled each other into a hug. They held each other while the rest of the gang took care of the survivors. Sirens could be heard in the distance and guns disappeared from view. The SWAT team stormed the door only to find two people holding each other in the middle of controlled chaos. They quickly regained complete control of the situation while Sam and Jake were oblivious to it all.

"I love you Sam." She turned her eyes to meet his gave him a small smile.

"I love you too Jake." The door slammed open, catching their attention. They turned to see Wyatt running through. He stopped at the scene in front of him and quickly scanned the area. Locating Sam, he started running to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh god Sam. I'm so sorry. Can you please forgive me? Are you alright? Goddamit answer me!" Sam started crying and flung her arms around her dad's neck, burying her face against his chest.

"Oh god daddy. I love you. Yes, I'm fine. Yes, you are forgiven. We'll talk about it later." Wyatt crushed her to him and gave her a tight squeeze, only letting go when someone tapped on his arm. He turned to see the sheriff staring at him and Sam. He slowly let go, knowing she would have to give a statement.

"Sam, can you tell me what happened here tonight?" Sam gave him a full account, telling him that everything on their side was self-defense. The marks on her wrists gave evidence to her statement and the gang was cleared on all charges. When she was asked to identify Blake and their history, Jake and Darrel spoke up to tell them that Sam lost her memory. They quickly shut it when she started talking. Surprisingly, she gave an entire account of what happened while she was at boarding school and what led up to the fight. Turning around, she grinned at the look on their faces and gave an innocent smile.

"What's wrong with you? I just answered his questions." Darrel walked up to Sam and gave her a hug before punching her in the arm.

"Hey! What was that for?" Darrel glared at her and crossed his arms.

"Why didn't you tell us that you had your memory back?" Sam laughed and quickly stopped when she saw the look on his face.

"Well, when I woke up to them standing around me, it just clicked. I started to remember everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just didn't have a chance too." Darrel just sighed and gave her another hug. The gang started talking back and forth about the fight. Sam was surprised when she felt herself tugged away and turned to face Jake.

"Yes?" He answered her with a hard kiss that slowly gentled. She slowly pulled back after sighing and looked him in the eyes. Yea, she had old troubles, but she now had new hopes for her future. Everything was _just right._


	31. NOTE

I want to say thank you for all the reviews and the encouragement to finish the story. You all gave me laughs and plenty to think of. Looking back, this didn't turn up like _anything_ I originally had on the outline. Again. Oh well. Anyways, I'm looking to finish Oblivious-if I can remember where I was going with it-and start a new fic for the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. So, again, thanks reviewers! And readers…

~Crystal Pony aka Kayla

Ps. If you're looking for an epilogue, The Justice of Brynna is kinda an add-on to Old Troubles, New Hopes and has the epilogue!


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